Politics have been driving the news cycle for the past decade, and that trend continued this year. These are the top Politics stories of 2025.
PA state Sen. Dave Argall’s National Civics Bee question stirs controversy
The parent of a sixth grade student competing at the local round of the National Civics Bee in April raised concern about what she believed was an inappropriate question asked of her daughter by state Sen. David G. Argall (R-29), one of the event’s judges.
During the event, judges took turns asking each of the top five contestants questions about the essays they had submitted for the Civics Bee.
The student, then a sixth-grader at North Schuylkill, wrote her essay on banned books.
When it was Argall’s turn to talk to her, he noted the issue was relevant and widely debated in the state Senate.
“Should pornographic magazines be allowed in kindergarten?”
The student asked the senator for clarification: “What does that mean?”
Argall replied, “Pictures of naked people.”
The student said that she doesn’t believe such materials should be allowed in kindergarten, and clarified what she meant by her topic of book banning.
After the event, the student’s mother, Erin Anderson, said in a public Facebook post that the question “was both wildly inappropriate and ridiculous.”
Anderson said the discussion had no place at the Civics Bee, noting that her daughter’s paper had nothing to do with pornography.
“I don’t know when Mr. Argall last stepped foot in a library, but they aren’t providing pornography,” Anderson wrote. “Discussing this with my 6th grade daughter on a public stage shows a shocking lack of decency.”
Argall later apologized for the question, admitting that it was inappropriate for the setting and that he made a mistake in asking it.
DOGE intends to close Frackville MSHA field office
The Mine Safety and Health Administration Frackville field office was slated to have its lease terminated by The Department of Government Efficiency, according to an update posted on the DOGE website in March.
The MSHA Frackville field office was one of at least 24 federal properties in Pennsylvania set to be closed by DOGE.
DOGE claims the closure of the Frackville office will generate savings of $55,228. The current lease on the property costs $132,547 annually.
It was not immediately clear what would happen to the MSHA Frackville employees, or employees at the hundreds of other locations subject to closure by DOGE.
As of March 5, DOGE listed 748 lease terminations totaling 9.5 million square feet with estimated savings of $468 million.
Republicans win races for mayor and two council seats in Pottsville
Republican candidate Tom Smith was elected as Pottsville’s next mayor, while two other Republican candidates won the race for two open seats on city council.
Smith received 1,935 votes while Democrat Andy Wollyung received 1,393 votes, according to results posted by the Schuylkill County Election Bureau.
In the council race, Republicans Jon Marsh and Scott Price received 1,736 and 1,704 votes, respectively, while Democrat Thomas Wood received 1,552 votes, and Democrat Mike Weres received 1,308 votes.
Among their priorities will be applying for grant money for the city that would allow for infrastructure upgrades, business development and blight reduction, Smith said.
In Pottsville, a third class city of about 13,000 residents, the mayor is a voting member with four council members.
When the mayor-elect and council members are sworn in next month, it will be the first time since 1989 that Republicans have held the majority in Pottsville.
Officials reflect on Schuylkill County reassessments
The Schuylkill County commissioners reflected on the countywide reassessment project, praising the execution of the valuation and appeals processes over the past three years.
Despite reservations about what they believe is a flawed state-mandated reassessment model, commissioners thanked the county tax assessment office, reassessment appeals boards and all other parties who worked on the years-long process to update assessed values for the 92,000-plus parcels in Schuylkill County.
Commissioners in 2022 hired a Massachusetts company, Vision Government Solutions, to conduct the reassessment — the first in Schuylkill since 1996.
The reassessment is required as part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by the Community Justice Project on behalf of Schuylkill County property owners. The nonprofit contends the county’s current tax assessments violate state law.
After the company updated the assessed values, residents received change-of-value notices in the mail this summer.
Those dissatisfied with their valuations had a chance to appeal from July to October.
Taxes will be updated in 2026, when the new valuations take effect.
Meuser responds to protesters in Pottsville
Congressman Dan Meuser responded to criticism leveled at him by a small group of protesters staged outside his office on Aug. 12, calling them “unbelievably misinformed” on several issues.
Meuser (R-9) was on his way to an event at The Farm Store when he stopped outside his Progress Avenue office to talk to about 20 people, who carried signs criticizing his policies and pressed him on issues such as Medicare and his support of the Big Beautiful Bill.
Protesters also criticized what they perceived as Meuser’s lack of responsiveness to his constituents. They claimed he has ignored requests to hold discussions with them and hear their concerns.
Meuser said he meets with hundreds of his constituents weekly when he’s in the 9th District. He criticized the way some protesters have interacted with him in an unprofessional manner, but said he is open to having productive, engaged conversations with his constituents.
“I’m in the business of doing things that are productive,” he said. “Nobody ever said that if you get elected to Congress, you’ve got to meet with every lunatic that wants to yell at you or point their finger in your face.
“If anybody wants to sit down and have a productive conversation, I’m going to do that. I’m not going to walk along and have them sling insults and untruths and nasty things about me and my family. … That’s not civil. They’re showing signs of being out of control. It’s unnecessary.”
Meuser held an in-person town hall at Alvernia’s Pottsville CollegeTown in early December.