The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau - Episode 68 - 1/26/2025

The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all of the Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. A quartet of Pennsylvania lawmakers, led by 48th District State Senator Chris Gebhard, plan to introduce legislation authorizing the PA Gaming Control Board to license and regulate skill games in the Commonwealth.  They're concerned, because these machines operate almost exactly like the slot machines that are found at state-regulated casinos, although they're anything but regulated.  But while he's leading the charge to regulate them, Senator Gebhard is in no way against them.  What are skill games, and why do they represent one of the most important pieces of legislation under consideration in the 2025-26 legislative session?  Today, we'll take a look.In the PA-mazing segment, the 55 Wolves of Speedwell Forge.  They live, very unassumingly, on The Wolf Sanctuary of PA, one of the foremost wolf sanctuaries in the nation.  It's located right in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, just north of Lititz, Lancaster County.  Michelle Mancini, the sanctuary's Education Coordinator, will explain more about the facility, and their very misunderstood inhabitants.