Was There a Plot Underway to Undo a State Supreme Court Decision and Strip Some Pennsylvanians of Lucrative Mineral Rights?

Spotlight PA asked a stark question: Could a last minute amendment to HB 96 have the effect of undoing a unanimous Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision, stripping some citizens of long standing mineral rights?

Written before Act 27 of 2026 was passed and signed by the governor, the report details how a unanimous Supreme Court opinion settled a nearly 13 year legal dispute for the Proctor family trust — a precedent that matters to many families across the state.

Unfortunately, shortly after this article was published, the PA Legislature passed HB 96 — without public debate or hearings — which included an amendment that essentially reversed the PA Supreme Court's decision. This bill became Act 27 of 2026. Legislative maneuvering like this, which retroactively undermines long-standing property ownership, may amount to an unconstitutional taking.

Read the Spotlight PA investigation here. We continue to fight to protect generational ownership.