Pennsylvania Launches Online Process for Pardons
By E. Morten
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania launched an online application for criminal pardons, becoming one of the first states in the country to do so. Traditionally, people have been required to fill out paper applications and gather hard copies of relevant documentation to mail into the Board of Pardons. As is the case with many bureaucratic systems, the process has not been afforded the money or time to upgrade with modern technology. With tight budgets and administrative backup, it takes a special interest by a political leader in order to make incremental changes such as this.
In addition, the Board of Pardons has reported an influx in applications, a phenomenon they lay at the feet of former Lt. Governor John Fetterman. It was under Fetterman that the digitization process began, but he ultimately left office before it finished. It was not until our current governor Josh Shapiro took up the mantle once again that the project was finished.
Even before the uptick in applicants, it wasn’t uncommon to wait years for a decision. Digitizing the application will do more than provide greater accessibility to everyone; the aim is ultimately to speed the decision process up. While imperfect, it’s good to draw attention to small improvements such as this. Pardons can help people find better jobs, housing, and financial opportunities.
To apply and learn more about the process, visit the Board of Pardons website: pa.gov/services/bop/apply-for-clemency
The State Of Marriage Equality
By Kevin Carlson
The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide through Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 and despite the panic, the Supreme Court seems unlikey to revisit the case. Famously presented as “marriage equality”, it failed to eliminate the catch-22 many people with disabilites face when deciding whether to get married.
People who rely on programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security disability insurance (SSDI), and Medicare often have to choose between getting married or keeping the benefits that help make their life more affordable. When someone with these benefits get’s married, the addition of a spouse’s income will likely put them over the threshold that allows them to continue receving these benefits. No longer being eligible for health insurance under these programs because you got married hardly seems like marriage equality.
10 years after the Supreme Court’s ruling, Pennsylvania has failed to pass the Marriage Equality Act which “would allow state law to match the court ruling and redefine marriage in Pennsylvania as a civil contract between two adults”. It passedin the state House last year but the state Senate failed to bring it to a vote; State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia) re-introduced it this year. The state Senate also has yet to vote on the Fairness Act, which would add “sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression” to the list of prohibited forms of discrimination in the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. While these are incredibly worthwhile bills to fight for, I cannot help but feel frustrated that the long-con of progressivism has yet to provide these rights nor the rights disability advocates have long been fighting for.
As much as I’d like to return to 2015 to hear Rihanna’s Bitch Better Have My Money for the first time again, why does it seem like Pennsylvania has been stuck there? State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta said, “This is not a culture war,” in an interview on August 22. Yet it very much feels like it is. Considering we still don’t have the rights that my high school teachers made us debate almost 15 years ago, it’s a war we don’t seem to winning. How many Democrats are we supposed to say, “at least they’re not Trump” about and then vote for before these clear-cut rights are given to us? How long will you accept the “Gavin Newsom Democrats” before deciding we need to do something more than vote?
SEPTA’s Funding is Secured… For Now
By E. Morten
Early September saw a sudden reversal in the SEPTA funding crisis. After months of gridlock between the State House and Senate, and looming cuts in bus and rail services, the issue was resolved in the final hour. However, it’s only a temporary fix, as it always is with funding public services.
Right before the Eagles season began, sports betting company FanDuel sponsored SEPTA’s Broad Street Line, allowing it to restore full service during game days, as well as offering free rides home. This was announced not long after the Eagles issued their own travel advisory for the general public, referencing the public transit funding crisis. It seems these gestures added sufficient pressure to the state, alongside a push by Pennsylvania state Democrats, who took the opportunity to speak on the issue just hours after FanDuel’s announcement.
The following day, Judge Sierra Thomas-Street issued an order that SEPTA must restore their full services, essentially reversing the cuts that Philadelphians have been dreading. However, the order did not block the planned fare hike, which went into affect on the 14th. This order was thanks to a lawsuit filed against SEPTA, alleging that the cuts and fare hikes disproportionately burden low-income riders; they also accused the transit company of manufacturing its financial crisis— something I have similarly accused.
But the ultimate fix came a few days later, when Governor Josh Shapiro directed PennDOT director Mike Carroll to allow SEPTA using emergency maintenance funds. This is of course a band-aid, as this funding is supposed to be set aside for repairs and fixes. Why not take funding from other sources? There seems to still be money for installing new fare readers, building parking lots, and paying the board.
Regardless, it’s a relief to know that Philadelphians will not be further burdened, at least for now. Let’s use this reprieve to plan ahead for the next inevitable funding crisis.
Police Oversight Commission Tells Us Nothing New
By E. Morten
One of Philadelphia’s responses to 2020’s uprisings was creating the Citizens Police Oversight Commission, or CPOC. These commisons are on the whole unhelpful, and more often are there to lull the public in feeling as though something is being done about police violence. It must be noted that CPOC is not allowed to independently investigate the police, they say due to constraints placed upon them by the Fraternal Order of Police.
Part of the mythmaking of the police is the narrative that they are held accountable, either by their own morals or by their peers. However, CPOC has been operational since 2021 and does not show any initiative to investigate citizen’s complaints. Regardless of the intentions of the 20 or so employees working there, CPOC is ultimately part of cleansing the police’s image.
CPOC recently released an audit of the 24th DIstrict’s body-camera footage, but it is hardly a comprehensive review. The results are an analysis of 119, randomly selected recordings of vehicle stops during January 2025. There was no analysis on misconduct, either, rather a review of how diligently the police used their body cameras during routine encounters.
The Philadelphia Partisan 