Pennsylvania lawmaker proposes bill that bans dynamic pricing on groceries
DEVELOPMENTS AS THE STRIKES CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY IN THE REGION. WGAL NEWS EIGHT. TODAY STARTS NOW. JUST TURNED 5:00. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. IT’S TUESDAY ON MATT BARCARO. I’M CAITLIN SMITH. WE ALSO HAVE CHIEF METEOROLOGIST CHRISTINE FERREIRA HERE TRACKING OUR IMPACT MORNING FORECAST. REGINA IS WATCHING THE ROADS FOR US. PLUS, WE HAVE CREWS SPREAD OUT ALL ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THIS MORNING, GIVING YOU A LOOK AT CONDITIONS NEAR YOU. SO ON THIS IMPACT MORNING WITH ABOUT 88 CANCELLATIONS OR DELAYS LISTED RIGHT NOW ON OUR WEBSITE AND SCROLLING AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN, LET’S GO RIGHT OVER TO CHRISTINE. I DON’T LIKE THE WAY THOSE ROADS LOOK. THEY ARE WET AND WE HAVE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1:00 TODAY. THE RADAR IS LIT UP WITH MULTIPLE TYPES OF PRECIPITATION, BUT I THINK THE PRIMARY PRECIPITATION HERE IS FREEZING RAIN. WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT WITH OUR CAMERAS, SO WE ARE GOING TO BE SEEING FREEZING RAIN WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND 30 DEGREES NEARLY EVERYWHERE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. WE HAVE TO GET THESE NUMBERS ABOVE 32 TO CALL THE ALL CLEAR. BUT RIGHT NOW THE ICE, THE RAIN WILL BE STICKING TO THINGS. METAL OBJECTS CAUSING A LAYER OF ICE. A GLAZE OF ICE AND UNTREATED ROADS WILL BE ICY AND SLICK, SO YOU NEED TO USE CAUTION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. NOTICE THAT AS WE GET INTO MIDMORNING LATE MORNING, THAT’S WHEN TEMPERATURES DO GET ABOVE FREEZING. WE ARE OKAY LATER TODAY AS THAT RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL, ESPECIALLY DURING THE EVENING COMMUTE. BUT FOR THE MORNING HOURS, ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. AND ALTHOUGH THE ROADS LOOK WET, THEY COULD BE ICY. THAT’S THE KEY. ALL RIGHT, LET’S GET THROUGH THIS MORNING COMMUTE SAFE AND SOUND. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. IT’S 501. EVERYBODY. GOOD NEWS RIGHT NOW IT’S PRETTY CALM OUTSIDE. I’M NOT REALLY SEEING TOO MUCH ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY TAKING YOU TO PERRY COUNTY. THIS IS REED TOWNSHIP ALONG ROUTE 322 CLARKS FERRY. YOU CAN SEE TRAFFIC MOVING JUST FINE. BUT AGAIN, ON MY COMMUTE TO WORK, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT SLIPPERY WHEN I WAS MAKING THOSE RIGHT LEFT TURNS. SO DEFINITELY TAKE YOUR TIME AS YOU’RE MAKING YOUR WAY OUT THE DOOR. SOUTHBRIDGE LOOKING BUSY ON THIS TUESDAY MORNING. THIS IS LOOKING INTO HARRISBURG, DAUPHIN COUNTY AND SOME DRIVE TIMES FOR YOU IF YOU’RE HEADED OUT OF HARRISBURG THIS MORNING TO LEBANON, 41 MINUTE DRIVE THERE TO LANCASTER, 34 AND A 22 MINUTE DRIVE. WE’LL HAVE ANOTHER CHECK ON YOUR COMMUTE. WE’LL SEE IF PENNDOT HAS ANY RESTRICTIONS, AND WE’LL SEE SOME LIVE PICTURES AS WELL. ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. THIS HAS BEEN A LANCASTER TOYOTA TRAFFIC REPORT. ALL RIGHT. NOW LET’S GET TO TRACKING THESE ROAD CONDITIONS. NEWS 8 GABRIEL THOMAS IS JOINING US LIVE FROM STORMTRACKER EIGHT. SHE IS IN THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF 83 THERE IN DAUPHIN COUNTY. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? GABRIEL. GOOD MORNING, MATT KATELYN. WE ARE ON I-83 NORTHWARD, HEADING TOWARD I-81. YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THE ROADS ARE SLIPPERY. IT LOOKS LIKE RAIN. BUT WHAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY SEEING RIGHT NOW IS FREEZING RAIN. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE HEADED TOWARD THAT I-81 APPROACHING THAT CARLISLE EXIT RIGHT NOW. CARS ARE MOVING AT A STEADY PACE AT THIS MOMENT, BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO WATCH OUT FOR THE ICE AND GLAZE ON THE ROADS. YOU MAY NOT SEE IT. IT MAY LOOK A LITTLE UNDETECTABLE, I SHOULD SAY, BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY ICE ON THE GROUND. I DID TALK TO PENNDOT, AND THEY DO TELL ME THAT THEY DID NOT PRE-TREAT THE ROADS BEFOREHAND. BUT I DO HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. THEY ARE OUT ON THE ROADS TREATING THE ROADS AT THIS HOUR RIGHT NOW, AS YOU SEE THAT PENNDOT TRUCK IN FRONT OF US, JUST TO ENSURE THAT YOUR MORNING COMMUTE IS SMOOTH, THE BEST ADVICE THAT PENNDOT HAS FOR YOU? TAKE IT EASY OUT HERE. TREAT THE ROADS LIKE THERE IS ICE ON THEM. YOU SHOULD BE DRIVING AT A STEADY PACE, BUT STILL SLOW JUST IN CASE YOU RUN INTO AN ICE PATCH OR TWO. WE’LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE ROADS OUT HERE IN DAUPHIN COUNTY, REPORTING LIVE HERE FROM OUR STORMTRACKER EIGHT. I’M GABRIELLE THOMAS. I’M GOING TO PASS IT BACK TO YOU, MATT KATELYN. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, GABRIELLE. SO THAT WAS DAUPHIN COUNTY. NOW LET’S GO TO YORK COUNTY AND A LIVE LOOK AT MOUNTAIN ROSE AVENUE. THIS IS THE 83 OVERPASS IN SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP. YOU WILL SEE THAT IT LOOKS WET AS WELL WITH CARS GETTING THROUGH THERE. AS YOU HEAD OUT THIS MORNING, PENNDOT IS WARNING YOU TO BE CAREFUL ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES JUST LIKE THIS, WHICH CAN FREEZE FASTER THAN ROADS CAN. I WOULD CALL IT LIKE A CONVECTION OVEN. WHEN YOU HAVE THAT HEAT THAT’S GOING AROUND, WHATEVER YOU HAVE IN THE OVEN, THE SAME THING HAPPENS TO A BRIDGE OR AN OVERPASS BECAUSE THAT COLD AIR IS GOING OVER TOP AND AROUND. THERE IS NOTHING TO HELP THAT HEAT UP AND KEEP THAT FROM ICING OVER. SO THOSE ARE AREAS THAT ARE GOING TO BE A FIRST CONCERN. PENNDOT, AS GABRIELLE MENTIONED, DID NOT PRE-TREAT THE ROADS YESTERDAY IN ADVANCE OF TODAY. BUT WE DID HAVE SOME CREWS OUT SAYING THAT THEY WERE SEEING PENNDOT PUT DOWN SALT THIS MORNING, AND THE CREWS ARE OUT, AS GABRIELLE SHOWED US, MONITORING THE ROADS. LET’S TAKE YOU TO MOUNT JOY IN LANCASTER COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL THERE VOTED TO MODIFY ITS AGREEMENT WITH IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT. IN A MEETING LAST NIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBERS AGREED TO SEND THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT BACK TO THE POLICE CHIEF. THEY SAY HE WILL CHANGE THE AGREEMENT SO THAT MOUNT JOY BOROUGH POLICE CAN ONLY HELP ICE BY SERVING JUDICIAL WARRANTS. THOSE REQUIRE A JUDGE’S SIGNATURE, NOT ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS THAT ONLY REQUIRE A SIGNATURE FROM THE AGENCY. IN THIS CASE WOULD BE THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. LAST NIGHT’S MEETING WAS HELD AT CROSSROADS CHURCH. AFTER LAST MONTH’S MEETING HAD TO BE POSTPONED BECAUSE IT WAS OVER CAPACITY. I THINK IT WOULD BE FOOLISH NOT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THIS MUCH MONEY FOR TRAINING. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENFORCE THE LAW. IF SOMEONE IS PRESENT IN OUR COUNTRY ILLEGALLY. THAT’S BREAKING THE LAW. THEY ARE DETAINING OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS, INNOCENT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND YOU SIT HERE, HIGH AND MIGHTY ON THE SKELETONS OF THE IMMIGRANTS THAT BUILT THIS TOWN. WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THE BOARD WILL VOTE ON THAT MODIFIED AGREEMENT, BUT WE DO KNOW ITS NEXT MEETING IS SET FOR APRIL 6TH. IF PASSED, THAT AGREEMENT CAN BE TERMINATED BY ICE OR BY THE POLICE AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON. THERE ARE ABOUT 20 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THAT HAVE SIGNED AGREEMENTS TO WORK WITH ICE. YOU CAN FIND A LIST OF THEM ON OUR WEBSITE W.COM. THE PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE ENERGY COMMITTEE PASSED TWO BILLS THAT WOULD REGULATE AI DATA CENTERS. ONE REQUIRES ANNUAL REPORTING OF HOW MUCH ENERGY AND WATER CENTERS USE, AND THEN FINDS THOSE CENTERS IF THEY DON’T REPORT IT, THE OTHER CREATES A DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT MUNICIPALITIES COULD CHOOSE TO ADOPT. IT INCLUDES REQUIREMENTS FOR SOUND BARRIERS AND MANDATORY DISTANCES. CENTERS MUST BE BUILT FROM COMMUNITIES. SO RIGHT NOW THERE ARE ABOUT A HALF DOZEN AI DATA CENTERS IN THE PLANNING PHASE, OR EVEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY IS SPENDING MORE THAN $4 MILLION ON EXPANDING APPRENTICESHIPS AND GETTING STUDENTS REAL WORLD WORK OPPORTUNITIES. THEY SAY THIS NEW INVESTMENT, SPREAD OUT ACROSS 17 PROJECTS IN THE STATE. LABOR INDUSTRY OFFICIALS VISITED SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT’S SARA LINDEMUTH ANNA CARTER PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO HIGHLIGHT THE INVESTMENTS. WHEN WE INVEST IN OUR STUDENTS, AS WE KNOW, WE’RE NOT JUST FUNDING A PROGRAM, WE ARE IN FACT INVESTING IN THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW. IT WAS A SUPER HUGE OPPORTUNITY. IT HELPED ME BECOME WHO I AM TODAY AND IMPACTING STUDENTS LIVES EVERY DAY AND CHANGES STUFF FOR THEM NOT ONLY HELP ME, BUT THE STUDENTS. JOSH SHAPIRO ADMINISTRATION SAYS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, NEARLY 3000 STUDENTS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SCHOOLS TO WORK PROGRAM, GETTING HANDS ON TRAINING, MENTORSHIP, AND CONNECTIONS TO POTENTIAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES. COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS IS SUING THE DOVER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT. IT SAYS THE SCHOOL BOARD IS DENYING REQUESTS TO USE SCHOOL BUILDINGS AS POLLING PLACES, AND ARGUES PENNSYLVANIA LAW REQUIRES DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE FACILITIES WHEN ASKED. WE DID REACH OUT TO THE DOVER AREA SCHOOL BOARD LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. SO FAR WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. THE BOARD DID VOTE 5 TO 4 TO DENY THE COUNCIL ELECTION BOARD’S REQUEST. ALL RIGHT. IT IS 507. WE HAVE THE YORK SKY CAM BEHIND US. YOU CAN SEE IT IS WET THERE WITH THE RAIN COMING DOWN AND THE RADAR. CHRISTINE HAS PRETTY MUCH EVERY COLOR YOU CAN IMAGINE SPREAD OUT THERE. IT MEANS THAT THERE IS A REAL MIX THIS MORNING GOING ON. THERE IS. I THINK IT’S MAINLY FREEZING RAIN, BUT YOU COULD SEE SOME SNOWFLAKES OR SOME SLEET MIXING IN. WON’T RULE THAT OUT, BUT I THINK THIS IS MAINLY FREEZING RAIN ACROSS THE AREA AND THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR THE ROADS. SO UNTREATED SURFACES COULD EASILY BECOME SLICK AND ICY. LOOK AT THE TEMPERATURES. WE ARE BELOW FREEZING AND WE STAYED BELOW FREEZING YESTERDAY. SO THESE ROADS ARE SUFFICIENTLY COLD AND THE NUMBERS THEY’RE GOING TO BE STAYING RIGHT AROUND THE 30 DEGREE MARK FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS BEFORE GETTING TO 32, 33, I THINK. TEN, 11:00 THIS MORNING IN MOST SPOTS. HERE’S OUR WIND SPEEDS. VERY LIGHT THIS MORNING, 5 TO 10MPH OUT OF THE EAST SOUTHEAST. THE WINDS WON’T BE A BOTHER TODAY, BUT THOSE SLICK ROADS CERTAINLY MAY IMPACT YOU THIS MORNING, SO GIVE YOURSELF SOME EXTRA TIME. EXTRA STOPPING DISTANCE. TAKE IT SLOW. I KNOW THE ROADS LOOK LIKE THEY’RE JUST PLAIN WET, BUT THEY COULD BE ICY IN SPOTS, ESPECIALLY IF UNTREATED. THIS AFTERNOON WE GET TO 36 WITH RAIN SHOWERS AROUND AND THEN I THINK SOME STEADIER RAIN DEVELOPS AS WE HEAD TOWARD EVENING. SO WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING QUITE A BIT OF RAIN TODAY. IT IS ONE OF OUR WETTEST DAYS IN THE TEN DAY FORECAST, BUT IT’S ALSO THE COLDEST. I’LL SHOW YOU WHEN TEMPERATURES GO UP. COMING UP. THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST EXPANDING. AND NOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS URGING AMERICANS TO LEAVE MORE THAN A DOZEN COUNTRIES IF THEY CAN. THIS COMES AS STRIKES FROM THE U.S. AND ISRAEL CONTINUE IN IRAN. TEHRAN AND ITS ALLIES ARE HITTING BACK IN ISRAEL AND EVEN BEYOND. WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT RACHEL HIRSCHHEIMER IS REPORTING ON THE LATEST FROM OVERNIGHT. THE WAR IS ESCALATING AND NOW IRAN IS EXPANDING ITS RETALIATORY ATTACKS. OVERNIGHT, THE U.S. EMBASSY IN SAUDI ARABIA WAS HIT, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. AND NOW THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS EVACUATING NON-EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AT DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. THE PENTAGON IS REPORTING SIX U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE THE START OF THE WAR, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP WARNED THERE COULD BE MORE CASUALTIES AS THE FIGHTING CONTINUES. ACROSS TEHRAN, EXPLOSIONS RANG OUT IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TUESDAY AS THE U.S. AND ISRAEL CONTINUE TO ATTACK IRAN AFTER KILLING ITS SUPREME LEADER, NOW SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO IS URGING AMERICANS TO LEAVE MORE THAN A DOZEN COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING ISRAEL, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, BAHRAIN AND KUWAIT. NOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP LAID OUT A TIMELINE FOR THE WAR MONDAY, SAYING IT COULD LAST 4 TO 5 WEEKS BUT THREATENED ON SOCIAL MEDIA LAST NIGHT. THE U.S. HAS VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF MILITARY WEAPONS TO CARRY OUT THESE ATTACKS EVEN LONGER. ON CAPITOL HILL, SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO MET WITH SOME CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS LAST NIGHT. HE’S ALSO SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH MORE MEMBERS FROM THE HOUSE AND SENATE LATER TODAY IN WASHINGTON. RACHEL HIRSCHHEIMER WGAL NEWS 8. WE’RE ALSO LEARNING. THANKS, RACHEL. WE’RE ALSO LEARNING WHAT WAS SAID IN RUBIO’S BRIEFING TO LAWMAKERS YESTERDAY. THOSE LAWMAKERS WERE TOLD MORE ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S REASONS FOR ACTING WHEN IT DID, BECAUSE ISRAEL WAS DETERMINED TO ACT WITH OR WITHOUT THE U.S., ARE COMMANDER IN CHIEF AND THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE OFFICIALS I JUST NAMED HAD A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE. THEY HAD TO EVALUATE THE THREATS TO THE U.S., TO OUR TROOPS, TO OUR INSTALLATIONS, TO OUR ASSETS IN THE REGION AND BEYOND. AND THEY DETERMINED, BECAUSE OF THE EXQUISITE INTELLIGENCE THAT WE HAD, THAT IF ISRAEL FIRED UPON IRAN AND TOOK ACTION AGAINST IRAN TO TAKE OUT THE MISSILES, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY RETALIATED AGAINST U.S. PERSONNEL AND ASSETS TO ISRAEL IS THE EQUIVALENT OF AN IMMINENT THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES. AND WE ARE IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY HERE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, PROTESTERS TOOK TO THE STATE CAPITOL, WITH SOME CALLING THIS CONFLICT ILLEGAL. SOME TOLD NEWS 8 ABOUT HOW IT IS AFFECTING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE IN IRAN. SOME ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEIR LOVED ONES FOLLOWING THE STRIKES. A PROFESSOR AT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY AND A NATIVE OF IRAN SAYS THERE WILL LIKELY BE MAJOR CHANGES AND HE DOES HAVE SOME CONCERNS. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE END GAME? HOW MANY WEEKS AND WHAT OVERALL DO YOU KNOW WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCE? A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF LAWMAKERS SAYS IT WILL V
Pennsylvania lawmaker proposes bill that bans dynamic pricing on groceries
Updated: 12:54 PM EST Mar 3, 2026
A Pennsylvania lawmaker proposed a bill that bans dynamic pricing on essential goods, according to the memo. Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8 Today.Sen. Nick Pisciottano introduced legislation arguing that the practice of dynamic pricing on goods, such as groceries, can be “predatory” when prices change rapidly and unpredictably for consumers. Pisciottano said the growing use of digital shelf labels allows retailers to update prices instantly, sometimes multiple times per day, often using algorithmic or AI-based systems that adjust prices based on factors like demand or timing. He claims such systems could lead to higher prices for certain shoppers, such as seniors during daytime hours or families shopping after work. “Imagine finishing your weekly grocery shopping, only to realize you forgot a few items. When you return to the store later that day, you’re struck by the fact that many of the products you just purchased have different prices than they did that morning,” Pisciottano said. “Or worse, in the time it takes to pick an item off the shelf and head to checkout, the price has already changed.”Pisciottano argues that consumers should be able to rely on posted prices to make informed purchasing decisions without the fear of rapid, uncontrolled price changes. “The goal is simple — to charge the customer as much as possible,” Pisciottano said. “Pennsylvanians should be able to trust that the price they see on the price tag reflects a fair value of the product.” The bill was introduced and referred to the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee on March 2, 2026. Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more. See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.
A Pennsylvania lawmaker proposed a bill that bans dynamic pricing on essential goods, according to the memo.
Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8 Today.
Sen. Nick Pisciottano introduced legislation arguing that the practice of dynamic pricing on goods, such as groceries, can be “predatory” when prices change rapidly and unpredictably for consumers.
Pisciottano said the growing use of digital shelf labels allows retailers to update prices instantly, sometimes multiple times per day, often using algorithmic or AI-based systems that adjust prices based on factors like demand or timing.
He claims such systems could lead to higher prices for certain shoppers, such as seniors during daytime hours or families shopping after work.
“Imagine finishing your weekly grocery shopping, only to realize you forgot a few items. When you return to the store later that day, you’re struck by the fact that many of the products you just purchased have different prices than they did that morning,” Pisciottano said. “Or worse, in the time it takes to pick an item off the shelf and head to checkout, the price has already changed.”
Pisciottano argues that consumers should be able to rely on posted prices to make informed purchasing decisions without the fear of rapid, uncontrolled price changes.
“The goal is simple — to charge the customer as much as possible,” Pisciottano said. “Pennsylvanians should be able to trust that the price they see on the price tag reflects a fair value of the product.”
The bill was introduced and referred to the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee on March 2, 2026.
Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.