Before recessing for the summer, Philadelphia City Council on Thursday passed a $4.4 billion operating budget for FY 2018.

We have a budget-focused podcast this week where we sit down with House Appropriations Committee Democratic Chairman Joe Markosek (D-Allegheny) to discuss where things stand with developing a balanced FY 2017-2018 spending plan, what House Democrats hope to see out of the budget and related bills, and what needs to be done to rid Pennsylvania of its perennial structural deficit.

On Thursday afternoon, in the Capitol, Pennsylvania voters announced that they have filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court alleging partisan gerrymandering in Pennsylvania's congressional districts.

Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) joined The PLS Reporter to talk about his bill, Senate Bill 527 and how he feels it will do in the House, why it is important, and how it is different than past pieces of similar legislation.