Pennsylvania Department of State
State Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | State Departments
Recent News About Pennsylvania Department of State
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Pa. Supreme Court upholds state law allowing mail-in voting, reverses Commonwealth Court
HARRISBURG – A 5-2 majority of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has affirmed a state’s law permitting mail-in voting, reversing a contrary finding reached in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in January. -
Federal court retains suit alleging gymnastics counselor sexually abused plaintiffs' child
WILLIAMSPORT – A lawsuit which alleged that a gymnastics camp counselor sexually abused the plaintiffs’ child and that the facility staff threatened the child and failed to report the abuse as required by law, will remain in a federal court. -
U.S. Supreme Court will review Pa.'s consent-by-jurisdiction statute in toxic exposure case
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court will now consider whether or not it is constitutional for out-of-state companies to accept jurisdiction under Pennsylvania law as a mandate for doing business in the Commonwealth, an outcome sure to have tremendous ramifications on litigation both statewide and nationwide. -
Commonwealth Court says mail-in voting act is unconstitutional; Ruling immediately appealed to Pa. Supreme Court
HARRISBURG – A 3-2 majority of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that the state’s law permitting mail-in voting is unconstitutional, a finding immediately appealed by the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf to the state Supreme Court. -
State Supreme Court: Pa.'s consent-by-registration rules to establish personal jurisdiction are unconstitutional
HARRISBURG – In a significant decision sure to have tremendous import, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held in a recent decision that the state’s consent-by-registration rules are unconstitutional, and could not be used to establish personal jurisdiction. -
Commonwealth Court gives go-ahead to petition seeking to prohibit use of ExpressVote XL electronic voting machines
HARRISBURG – The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania recently ruled that legal action to prohibit electronic voting machines from being used in Northampton County and other Pennsylvania counties may proceed. -
Amistad Project teams with Fulton County in legal fight over decertification of voting machines
MCCONNELLSBURG – In response to the Pennsylvania Department of State’s decertification of Fulton County’s voting machines, an election integrity group has secured legal counsel to defend its action to conduct a post-election audit of those same machines. -
Inspector General report says 'no executive oversight' led to failure of proposed amendment for sex abuse victims
HARRISBURG – A new report from the Pennsylvania Department of State (DOS) credits a “lack of executive oversight” as the chief reason why a state constitutional amendment which would have retroactively extended the timeline for victims to file civil actions against their abusers, stalled in a procedural snafu that won’t see it be considered as a ballot question until 2023 at the earliest. -
Dead voters update: Pa. settles with Indiana law advocacy group in case over deceased voters on registration rolls
HARRISBURG – Litigation brought by an Indianapolis advocacy group which charged the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with violating the National Voter Registration Act in allegedly failing to maintain and update its rolls by removing deceased voters, has been settled. -
After botching, constitutional amendment helping church sex abuse victims could have new path to law
HARRISBURG – A state constitutional amendment which would retroactively extend the timeline for victims to file civil actions against their abusers, stalled in a procedural snafu that cost the former Secretary of the Commonwealth her job, may see new life and its place on the May primary election ballot restored, as an emergency amendment. -
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania Officials Discuss Election Security with U.S. Attorneys and FBI Agents
Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and Pennsylvania Director of Homeland Security Marcus Brown recently met with Pennsylvania’s three United States Attorneys and FBI agents from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to review security and preparations for the Nov. 3 general election. -
Should Indiana woman be allowed to use Pennsylvania courts to sue New Jersey company? Supreme Court to decide
HARRISBURG – The future of both pelvic mesh lawsuits and the concept of personal jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have the potential to be greatly impacted by arguments and a forthcoming decision in the Hammons v. Ethicon case, set to be argued before the state Supreme Court next week on March 10. -
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OF PENNSYLVANIA: Bucks County Dentist to Pay $150,000, Cease Prescribing Schedule II Opioids for Four Years, to Resolve Allegations of Opioid-Mishandling and Diversion for Personal Use
First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced today that Bucks County dentist Dr. Pranathi V. Reddy will pay $150,000 and stop prescribing Schedule II opioids for four years to resolve allegations that she diverted controlled substances for personal use and overdosed on one occasion, and that she failed to comply with various record-keeping requirements for controlled substances. -
Out-of-state businesses afraid of Philadelphia's court should pay attention to coming Superior Court decision
HARRISBURG – Plaintiffs lawyers and the business community await a ruling from an en banc panel of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, which is deciding whether the state can require companies who wish to do business here to consent to also being sued here. -
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OF PENNSYLVANIA: U.S. Attorney McSwain Announces Charges as Part of Federal Health Care Fraud Takedown in Northeastern United States
United States Attorney William M. McSwain joined fellow Justice Department officials at a press conference to announce a coordinated health care fraud enforcement action across seven federal districts involving more than $800 million in loss and the distribution of over 3.25 million opioid pills in “pill mill” clinics. -
Companies dragged into Pennsylvania courts get ammo with recent federal decision; SCOTUS intervention a possibility
PHILADELPHIA – A federal judge’s recent ruling which said that Pennsylvania’s requirement for out-of-state corporations to both register in and consent to general jurisdiction here was “a statutory scheme” and “unconstitutional” may have lasting effect on a number of prominent cases statewide, both pending and in the future. -
Federal judge says Pennsylvania's jurisdiction requirements are 'unconstitutional'
PHILADELPHIA – In a potentially far-reaching ruling which diverted from those made in recent years at both state and federal levels, a judge declared that the requirement for out-of-state corporations to register in Pennsylvania and thus consent to general jurisdiction within it, is both “a statutory scheme” and “unconstitutional.” -
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Lobbying groups financed by Pond Lehocky to oppose Workers' Comp bills fined for ethics violations
HARRISBURG – A pair of lobbyist organizations connected to plaintiffs law firm Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano and which sought to defeat Workers' Compensation reform bills were recently found to have violated the state’s Lobbying Disclosure Law and fined by the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission. -
Federal court finds former restaurant owners not liable for illegal boxing match broadcast
PHILADELPHIA – A federal court has ruled a pair of former restaurant owners cannot be held liable for the illegal exhibition of a televised boxing match at their former establishment nearly four years ago. -
Commonwealth Court upholds denial of access to medical board letters
In a Sept. 2 ruling from the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, a citizen was denied his appeal to obtain state medical board documents from the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR).