Crime and Justice
PA Police Can Now Shut Down ‘Non-Life-Sustaining’ Businesses, But They’d Rather Not
|
“Nobody is looking to get anybody unnecessarily involved in the legal system.”
Economy
Wolf Administration Backtracks On Closing Laundromats For Coronavirus
|
“People still have dirty clothes.”
App NEWS
PA State Senator Admits Guilt In Child Porn Possession Case
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An account traced to him had uploaded an image showing a sexual act between a female minor and adult male. The office said police found two other images on Folmer’s cell phone.
App NEWS
Poor People’s Campaign Reminds PA Lawmakers About General Assistance
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The group argues the strong economy makes it a good time to reinstate the cash assistance program. But the GOP-controlled legislature is wary of increased spending.
Government
A Fraction Of Pennsylvanians Have A Real ID, But PennDOT Says That’s OK
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People will still be able to use other forms of identification after REAL ID requirements take effect.
Crime and Justice
How To Lower Prison Costs? PA Secretary Advises Medical Parole
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Pennsylvania sentences a lot of people to life without the possibility of parole. Research has shown their odds of reoffending are low after years of incarceration.
Crime and Justice
ACLU Sues Over Northeast Pennsylvania Traffic Stop
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Attorneys say they believe the stop was racially motivated. The ACLU’s client was detained, then placed in ICE custody.
Crime and Justice
Harrisburg Becomes 1st PA Roman Catholic Diocese To Declare Bankruptcy
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The diocese has been under financial strain from legal fees and payouts to people its clergy and other affiliates abused over many decades.
Government
PA Lawmakers Question Governor’s Corporate Tax Proposals—Again
|
The Democratic Governor has pitched the same overhaul to Pennsylvania’s corporate tax structure for five years in a row.
App NEWS
PA Governor’s Cap-And-Trade Proposal Takes Step Forward
|
DEP acting on governor’s executive order — which Republicans are challenging
Episodes
PA Congress Members In Vulnerable Seats Have Posted Relatively Strong Fundraising
|
Republican Scott Perry and Democrat Matt Cartwright are both considered to be in toss-up races.
Government
Top PA Senate Republican Announces Retirement
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Joe Scarnati has represented the 25th Senate District for two decades, and rose to power as Senate President Pro Tempore in 2006.
Crime and Justice
Attorneys Expand Lawsuit Seeking Abuse Information From PA Dioceses
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They’re adding new plaintiffs from the Philadelphia, Altoona-Johnstown, Greensburg and Harrisburg dioceses.
App NEWS
Pennsylvanians Can Now Apply Online To Vote By Mail, Without An Excuse
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The new application website comes courtesy of Act 77, which expands voting laws. Lawmakers passed it in an effort to boost participation.
App NEWS
Some PA Lawmakers Think They Can Override Veto Of Manufacturing Tax Break Bill
|
Overrides are rare, and can only happen when two-thirds of the legislature are willing to support a bill against the governor’s explicit wishes. The last one happened a decade ago.
App NEWS
PA Auditor Says Dog Law Enforcement Needs More Money
|
According to Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, the Dog Law Enforcement Bureau could be out of money by this summer.
Elections
Pence Stops In PA Hoping To Rally Trump Vote
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At a Women for Trump event in Camp Hill, the vice president touched on education, veterans’ issues, abortion, undocumented immigrants and what he sees as ‘socialism’ in the Democratic party.
Government
Senate Dems Weary Of Republican Resistance To Pro-LGBTQ Resolutions
|
Over the past three sessions, at least a dozen Democratic-sponsored resolutions related to honoring LGBTQ+ people have failed to pass the state House and Senate.
Government
PA Governor Paints Rosy Revenue Picture In His Sixth Budget Proposal
|
The governor says the days of “painful” budgets are behind Pennsylvania, thanks to a strong economy. But Republicans say Wolf should work harder to reign in spending.
Government
After Decades Of Frustration, Auditor Says PA’s Statewide Radio System May Soon Work Properly
|
The old system was expensive, and its coverage was so spotty that police and other first responders couldn’t rely on it for communication.
Education
In A Budget Preview, Governor Calls For A Deep Cleanup At PA Schools
|
His latest ask is more than a billion dollars to clean up lead and asbestos in Pennsylvania’s schools, houses and water systems.
Government
PA’s Governor Dusts Off $4.5 Billion Infrastructure Plan
|
Governor Wolf first introduced Restore PA last year, to a chilly response from Republicans. It’s one of several unsuccessful proposals he is reiterating ahead of his 2020 budget address.
App NEWS
PA Senate Mulls Paid Leave; Labor Groups Applaud While Free Market Interests Balk
|
The proposal would require Pennsylvanians to pay part of their checks into an emergency fund, from which any eligible worker would be able to draw benefits.
App NEWS
PA’s Election Head Says Voting Overhauls Will Make 2020 Primary Tough For Counties
|
Thanks to a package of new laws, county officials will likely have to count more absentee ballots and register more voters.
Economy
PA Governor Anticipates Bipartisanship On Workforce-Strengthening Plan
|
However, the governor says he’s much less sure about his longtime push to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage.
App NEWS
One Of PA’s Most Powerful Republicans Will Not Run For Reelection
|
“I’d like to be in the private sector. I’d like to be on the other side of that line where I’m actually in the middle of it, to create those jobs and see an organization thrive.
App NEWS
Rumors Swirl Around PA Capitol As GOP House Speaker Schedules Announcement
|
Lawmakers are speculating that Allegheny County Rep. Mike Turzai plans to leave office.
App NEWS
House Moves To Tighten Pennsylvania’s Human Trafficking Laws
|
One of the bills now goes the governor for a signature, and the rest still have to pass the Senate.
App NEWS
PA House Votes To Allow Agency Commercial Records Request Fees
|
The additional fees are intended to apply specifically to records that companies are reselling, using to market products, or making money with in some other way.
App NEWS
PA State House May Make It Easier To Terminate Rapists’ Parental Rights
|
A bill that would change the process made it through a House committee unanimously, and now goes to the full chamber for a vote.
Crime and Justice
Lawmakers, Educators, And Prosecutors Will Study PA’s Juvenile Justice Issues
|
Governor Tom Wolf says the goal is to ensure more young offenders leave the criminal system and stay out.
App NEWS
PA Democrats Claim House Speaker Struck Failed GOP Votes From The Record
|
Speaker Mike Turzai counters that he did so because of a routine parliamentary issue.
Government
Two PA Democrats Try To Guarantee Medical Consent
|
Studies have shown that doctors at some hospitals routinely instruct medical students to perform practice exams on unconscious patients without their permission.
App NEWS
Despite GOP Compromise, PA Governor Says Drilling Bill Still Too Risky
|
Republicans are pushing for looser regulations on conventional oil and gas drillers, who generally run small operations and work with relatively shallow wells.
Crime and Justice
PA House Moves To Keep People Convicted Of Gun Crimes In Jail Longer
|
The chamber narrowly passed a measure that would require judges to issue consecutive sentences for multiple crimes involving guns.
Government
PA Lawmakers Plan To Try, Once More, To Make Redistricting Less Political
|
In order to change how congressional and state legislative districts are drawn before nationwide reapportionment in 2021, the General Assembly needs to strike a deal by early August.
App NEWS
PA Dems Push To Shore Up Coverage In Case Obamacare Is Struck Down
|
They want a GOP-controlled Senate committee to hold hearings on several of their bills backstopping ACA provisions. It’s not clear if they’ll get their wish.
App NEWS
Democrats, Republicans In PA House Clash Over Special Election Dates
|
GOP Speaker Mike Turzai scheduled the elections to be held less than a month before the primary. Democratic leaders think that’s needlessly confusing.
Food and Farms
Some PA Farmers Have Trouble Budgeting Money From New State Grant
|
Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Secretary says several grant recipients were taken by surprise that they had to pay contracted workers prevailing wages.
App NEWS
Citing Unity, Two More PA Congress Members Endorse Biden For President
|
The freshmen congressional members join a growing number of Pennsylvania politicians throwing support behind the former vice president.
Government
PA’s Congressional Delegation Reacts Along Party Lines To Strike On An Iranian General
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Most Republican members have said they support the move; Democrats say they’re worried about destabilizing the Middle East and concerned Trump didn’t seek congressional approval
App NEWS
Despite GOP Attempts To Compromise, PA’s Governor Won’t Abandon Overtime Plan
|
The governor wants to require that time-and-a-half be paid to anyone who makes $45,000 or less and works more than 40 hours in a week.
Crime and Justice
PA Judge Admonished For Abusing Power At Traffic Stop
|
The letter from a statewide board could be used against Judge Dennis Reinaker in future misconduct cases.
App NEWS
PA Auditor, Department Of State Clash Over Voter Roll Issues
|
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale says he found tens of thousands of discrepancies in a review of county registration records. But the department says he’s overstating the issue.
Government
Republicans’ Judicial Election Amendment Would Make PA An Outlier
|
House Republicans have voted to elect appellate court judges in regional, partisan elections. Only two other states use similar methods.
App NEWS
Despite Controversial Amendments, PA House Passes Justice Reinvestment Bills
|
The measures now go back to the Senate, where members will vote to concur with, or reject the amendments.
Crime and Justice
Pennsylvanians Gather On Capitol Steps For ‘Impeachment Eve’
|
Harrisburg’s rally was one of many around the country in which people who oppose President Donald Trump turned out to celebrate his possible ouster.
Government
PA Lawmakers Move To Change Rule Restricting Local Official Training
|
Current state law bars municipalities from paying for conferences and other instruction programs until the elected person formally takes office.
Crime and Justice
PA House Adds Mandatory Minimums To High-Profile Justice Reform Bills
|
Many Democrats and some Republicans say mandatory minimum sentences are ineffective and biased against black people. The GOP committee chair says he ‘doesn’t see color.’
Crime and Justice
His Life Sentence Commuted, PA Prisoner Now Faces Theft Charges Dating Back To 1992
|
After 25 years in prison, David Sheppard received clemency for a second-degree murder charge. But he may have to go back to prison for allegedly stealing jeans in 1992.
Crime and Justice
PA State Representative Charged With Stealing Over $500,000 From Nonprofit
|
Democrat Movita Johnson-Harrell says she plans to resign. She won her seat in a special election nine months ago, replacing a representative charged with bribery.
Government
In Judiciary Impeachment Hearings, PA Congressional Members Echo Party Lines
|
Republicans argued Democrats aren’t respecting due process, while Democrats argued the president’s conduct is baldly unconstitutional.
Government
Governor Hopes To Save Three Of PA’s Minor League Teams
|
Major League Baseball is considering cutting 42 teams from the minor league circuit after the 2020 season.
Government
PA Restricted Tobacco Sales. Some Tobacco Control Groups Still Uneasy.
|
A newly-enacted law is making Pennsylvania one of 19 states with older legal tobacco purchase ages.
Government
PA’s A Step Closer To Starting A State-Based Health Insurance Exchange
|
Lawmakers and the governor opted to create their own exchange because it’s likely to save the commonwealth money.
Government
PA Lawmaker’s Party Switch Reverberates In His Home County
|
A state senator’s recent defection from the Democratic party shook the Capitol last week and now it’s causing political upheaval in his district.
Crime and Justice
After Years Of Internal Fights, PA Legislature Overhauls Statute Of Limitations
|
People abused as children will be able to file criminal suits against their abusers no matter how much time has passed.
App NEWS
PA House Moves To Protect Prison Guards By Cracking Down On Inmates
|
Among other things, the measures would impose longer sentences for assaulting guards, and punish inmates for a broader range of crimes.
App NEWS
State Senator Quits PA’s Democratic Party
|
The longtime Luzerne County lawmaker is now registered as an Independent, but has allied himself with Republicans in key ways.
App NEWS
After Years 0f Pressure From Advocates, PA House Advances Gift Ban
|
Under current law, lawmakers can accept whatever gifts they want, no matter the cost. For the first time in recent memory, the House may be poised to change that.
abortion
Bill Requiring Medical Providers To Bury Fetal Remains Passes PA House
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Supporters say the measure would ensure parents have an opportunity for closure. Opponents say it could discourage women from getting abortions, and might make traumatic experiences worse.
Crime and Justice
PA Will Take Death Row Inmates Out Of Indefinite Solitary Confinement
|
They’ll now get at least 42½ hours per week out of their cell, and will be allowed to eat and attend religious services with other inmates.
Crime and Justice
PA’s Governor Says He’s Unaware Of Wrongdoing In Mariner East Pipeline Permitting Process
|
Tom Wolf, a Democrat, addressed the situation for the first time Wednesday afternoon, saying he is not aware of any wrongdoing.
Government
State Auditor General: Climate Change Could Be Costing PA Hundreds Of Millions
|
Eugene DePasqule wants lawmakers to come up with a more comprehensive plan to improve infrastructure, and hopefully prevent future damage from severe weather.
Education
PA Lawmakers Host Rural Kids—And Their Robots
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Officials are hoping early exposure to science and tech will give rural students a leg up in rapidly modernizing fields, like agriculture.
Government
PA Couldn’t Process Unemployment For Four Days. Now 2,500 People May Get Late Checks.
|
It’s unclear exactly what went wrong with the commonwealth’s dated system, but from Thursday to Sunday, a crash kept unemployed people from filing claims.
App NEWS
Report Flags 145 Of Pennsylvania’s Dams As Dangerous
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The Associated Press says those high-risk structures are in poor condition, and could kill people if they collapse.
Energy
PA Senator Takes Preventative Measures As Dems Call For Fracking Bans
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Pennsylvania’s Republican US Senator introduced a resolution he hopes will enable Congress to defeat future presidents’ fracking bans in court.
Government
Seven PA Workers Want Their Union Dues Refunded
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Last year, a Supreme Court decision made it illegal for public sector unions to compel non-members to pay dues. Some non-members are now trying to recoup that money.
Government
PA’s Liquor Board Is Posting Record Profits. That Worries Some Lawmakers.
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Republicans in the state legislature have long pushed to privatize the commonwealth’s state-run liquor industry.
App NEWS
PA Voters Approve Marsy’s Law, But Courts Could Block It
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It could take a year or longer to resolve whether victims’ rights measure is constitutional.
App NEWS
PA Supreme Court Confirms, Marsy’s Law Votes Won’t Be Certified
|
Voters can cast ballots on the proposed amendment, but the state won’t do an official count until courts decide whether the victims’ rights proposal is constitutional.
App NEWS
In Unprecedented Move, PA Judge Blocks Marsy’s Law Ballots From Being Counted—For Now
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The ACLU and other groups had argued the victims’ rights constitutional amendment is too broad and could compromise the rights of the accused. The judge agreed.
Crime and Justice
A PA Hate Crime Bill’s Circuitous Path To Passage
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Once signed, the measure will give grants to nonprofits susceptible to hate crimes. Though few lawmakers ever opposed it, the legislative process was unpredictable.
App NEWS
House Members Launch Plan To Make PA Pensions More Transparent
|
The bills are in their early days, but they’ve already gotten early rebukes from staff for one of two pension systems.
Government
PA Governor And Local Official Plot To Close Federal Immigrant Detention Center
|
The controversial Berks Family Residential Center is one of three facilities in the US that detains undocumented parents and children together.
Crime and Justice
After Hot Mic Comment, Tensions Between PA Prisons Chief And Prison Staff Flare
|
Union leaders interpreted Corrections Secretary John Wetzel’s quiet aside at a prison closure hearing as dismissive.
Crime and Justice
Is Marsy’s Law Constitutional? A PA Judge Will Decide Soon.
|
Opponents of the victims’ rights amendment say it’s too broad and would cause “immediate and irreparable harm” to the accused. Marsy’s Law backers firmly disagree.
Government
PA House Moves To Exempt Volunteer Fire Companies From Open Records Requests
|
Supporters of the bill say it is a needed correction to a burdensome system, but opponents say it just makes the departments needlessly opaque.
Government
Menstrual Products Should Be Free, PA Lawmakers Say
|
Calling the issue a matter of public health, the group is proposing four bills that would require public restrooms to provide free pads and tampons to anyone who needs them.
abortion
Some Lawmakers Hope To Effectively Ban Abortions In PA
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The measure would outlaw abortions from the time a fetal heartbeat is detected. That’s usually around six or seven weeks—before most women know they are pregnant.
Government
Powerful New House Committee Considers Overhauling PA’s Lobbying Rules
|
Pennsylvania’s brand new House Oversight Committee held its first-ever hearing Monday, on whether there should be tighter rules for lobbyists to disclose what they spend on lawmakers.
Government
Black Americans Don’t Always Respond To The Census. PA’s NAACP Hopes To Correct That
|
With the 2020 census approaching, black community leaders are brushing up on the best ways to get people counted.
ACLU
ACLU Files Last-Minute Suit In PA Against Marsy’s Law Amendment
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Marsy’s Law would insert a bill of rights for crime victims in Pennsylvania’s constitution. The ACLU thinks it’s too sweeping and would need to be broken into parts.
App NEWS
A PA Prison Unit’s About To Go Scandinavian
|
The change, which will involve new furniture and roomier cells, will test whether a less punitive prison environment will yield better-behaved inmates
Government
An Expansion Of Healthcare Access For Working Disabled People May See Action In PA Senate
|
The measure has high-ranking co-sponsors from both parties, making it a rare healthcare bill that may not divide the chamber on party lines.
Addiction
ACLU Says A Lebanon County Medical Marijuana Policy Violates PA Law
|
Lebanon isn’t not the only county that does this. The Pennsylvania ALCU says it has heard at least seven others have similar policies. The group is hoping its suit has statewide implications.
App NEWS
PA Laws Keep Victims Silent, Child Sex Abuse Survivors Say
|
The state Senate held a daylong hearing on bills to overhaul the statute of limitations for certain abuse cases. They’ve repeatedly stalled before, and it’s unclear if anything has changed.
News
Former Congressional Contender Christina Hartman To Run In PA For Auditor General
|
Pennsylvania is getting a new auditor general next year, and the field of prospective candidates is already getting crowded.
App NEWS
PA’s Upcoming Election Features A Contentious Ballot Question: Marsy’s Law
|
The amendment would enshrine certain rights for crime victims in the commonwealth’s constitution.
Government
New Report Says PA Park Funding Hasn’t Kept Pace With Inflation
|
“The result has been a decrease in the ability of staff to adequately maintain physical infrastructure…manage natural and cultural resources and address numerous environmental challenges.”
Government
PA Lawmakers Open To Raising Tobacco Purchase Age
|
A bill that would raise the minimum age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21 passed the Senate easily, and may have enough support to get to the governor’s desk
Government
PA’s Governor: The People Want Weed
|
For the first time, Pennsylvania’s governor is throwing his support behind fully legalizing marijuana. Republicans say they’re skeptical.
App NEWS
PA Senate Bill Could Portend The End Of The Lieutenant Governor’s Mansion
|
A measure that moved from committee Tuesday would give the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs jurisdiction over the building and close it off to future lieutenant governors.
App NEWS
PA House Committee Abruptly Bars Door To New Gun Control Legislation
|
GOP Chairman Rob Kauffman says in particular, a high-profile “red flag” bill won’t be considered “so long as Chairman Kauffman is chairman.”
Crime and Justice
PA House Re-Introduces Contentious Bills To Reinstate Mandatory Minimum Sentences
|
A bipartisan consensus has been rising around bills that seek to make sentencing less punitive. But House Republicans are holding fast to one of their longtime, tougher-on-crime priorities
App NEWS
With Three Mile Island Closed, Nuclear Advocates Shift Their Concerns To PA’s Other Plants
|
Those people who support nuclear worry that without tax breaks, the plants will be shut out of a competitive energy market
App NEWS
PA, Again, Call For Leach To Resign. He Doesn’t Plan To.
|
The caucus has released a final report about sexual misconduct allegations against Leach. It found “unprofessional” behavior, but no sexual harassment.
App NEWS
PA Lawmakers Reel After Folmer’s Ouster
|
The top Republican, arrested on child pornography charges, was heavily involved in efforts to overhaul redistricting and elections laws.
Energy
GOP Lawmakers In PA Re-Launch Pro-Natural Gas Package
|
The raft of proposals serves as a rejection of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s own energy plan.
Crime and Justice
State Senator Arrested In PA On Child Pornography Charges
|
The state attorney general says the high-ranking Republican is not “above the law.”
Energy
Environmentalists Pressure PA’s Governor For Faster Action On Methane Emissions
|
Their call for action comes as the Trump administration works to loosen federal regulations on the powerful greenhouse gas.
Economy
PA’s New Minimum Wage Fight Is Basically The Same As The Old Fight
|
The lawmakers and activists who want to raise Pa.’s $7.25 minimum say they’re “deflated” but regrouping after failing to push higher wages into the state budget.
Government
Activists Protest Limits On Rally Sizes In PA’s Capitol
|
The administration says it wants to make sure the rotunda is accessible to people with disabilities. Some disability advocates say the move is unnecessary.
App NEWS
PA Lawmakers Return To Harrisburg This Month. Here’s Their Plan.
|
Expect arguments on everything from energy to guns, from criminal justice to wages, and more.
Government
Wolf, Republicans Resume Tug-Of-War Over Medicaid Work Requirements
|
The Pennsylvania governor has vetoed two different bills. Lawmakers plan to send him a third.
App NEWS
PA Business Advocates Celebrate Trump’s Clean Water Rollback
|
Meanwhile, environmental groups like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation say the move is an “assault” on clean water.
Crime and Justice
PA Lawmaker Sentenced For DUI
|
Representative John Galloway was charged after an incident in May, when police found him driving with a BAC of .16
Government
Do Pa’s Liquor Laws Rip Off Consumers? Lawmakers Hear Opposing Arguments.
|
The legislature is weighing a bill that would roll back the pricing flexibility it granted the PLCB three years ago.
App NEWS
Amid Trade Uncertainty, PA Sheds Manufacturing Jobs
|
The head of Pennsylvania’s Manufacturer’s Association said he supports the president’s trade tactics.
App NEWS
What The Trump Administration Latest Immigration Move Might Mean For PA
|
Even under current detention rules, licensing at the Berks County Residential Center is complicated.
Education
How To Get Rid Of Property Taxes? PA Lawmaker Looks To Retirement Income.
|
One state House lawmaker is trying to pitch a new solution to a very old Pennsylvania problem: the reliance on school property taxes.
App NEWS
In PA And Beyond, Polling Shows Key Suburban Voters Want Gun Reform
|
A Republican polling firm says its latest survey found compelling evidence that a key bloc of swing voters want stricter gun control.
App NEWS
After Complaints Over School Safety Law, PA Senators Return To Drawing Board
|
A law to expand schools’ security options in Pennsylvania now has some school law enforcement officers miffed.
Government
Fellow Dems Challenging Leach Promise Similar Policies, But A Change In Culture
|
Democrat Daylin Leach lost support from his own caucus, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, and the Democratic committees in the counties he represents after being accused of inappropriate conduct with female staffers.
Government
Pennsylvania Rallies Urge Action On Guns
|
The demonstration was one of many springing up statewide in the wake of the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio that killed more than 30 people.
App NEWS
After Mass Shootings, Some PA Democrats Urge Governor To Call A Special Session
|
Some Pennsylvania Democrats are urging Gov. Tom Wolf to call the legislature back to Harrisburg for a special session on gun violence, even as other legislators concede it’s unlikely such a session would produce any meaningful action.
Government
Executive Order Targets PA’s ‘Outdated’ Human Services
|
After a series of incidents in which people have been harmed while in state or county human services care, Governor Tom Wolf says the system isn’t working.
App NEWS
PA Ends Cash Assistance Program For Poor
|
Despite a legal aid group asking the commonwealth court to grant an injunction, a small cash assistance for the poor has ended, effective Thursday.
Crime and Justice
Corrections Cautions Against ‘Knee Jerk’ Reaction After PA Parolee Murders
|
The alleged perpetrators were onetime Pennsylvania state inmates out on parole. And in a commonwealth that has been working systematically to get people out of prison, that prompted concern.
App NEWS
Governor Says SNAP Restriction Could Impact 200,000 Pennsylvanians
|
Democratic state lawmakers are criticizing the Trump Administration over its proposed plan to restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for certain people.
Crime and Justice
PA’s Attorney General Drums Up Support From Police And Dealers For Gun Tracking
|
Pennsylvania’s attorney general is trying to convince firearms dealers and police precincts around the commonwealth to do a more effective job tracking guns–an effort he hopes will eventually help reduce gun crimes.
App NEWS
PA Representatives Stick To Party Line In Mueller Hearing
|
Like most of their colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, three representatives from Pennsylvania appeared to have wildly different reactions to his report, based on their party affiliation.
App NEWS
PA Diocese Sued For Conspiracy, Fraud Related To Child Abuse
|
“You have to ask yourself, why is every diocese in the country dealing with child sex abuse? The answer is, the coverup, the protection afforded to child predators.”
App NEWS
PA Attorney General Hopes Equifax Settlement Is A Warning To Similar Companies
|
“If you’re going to be obtaining personal information from people, it’s important that you invest that money to protect their information, or you could be facing something similar.”
App NEWS
New Oversight In Place After PA GOP Chair Resigns
|
A spokesman for newly elected Lawrence Tabas said a compliance officer will be tasked with enforcing the party’s legal and ethical rules.
Government
Advocacy Groups Attempt To Halt PA’s Imminent Repeal Of General Assistance
|
Two advocacy groups are suing Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services over the repeal of a small cash assistance program for poor people who don’t qualify for other aid.
News
Two PA Democrats Make Surprise Visit To Berks’ Immigrant Detention Facility
|
“I’m thrilled that the people here are trying to do as best they can under the circumstances. But I think the underlying issue is, we should not be doing this.”
Government
Experts Warn Immigrant Detention Center Endangers Children, PA’s Governor Urged To Close Facility
|
A group of Carnegie Mellon psychologists say the Berks Family Residential Center it is damaging the physical and mental health of the children who are held there.
Crime and Justice
Bipartisan PA Pair Looks To Take Clean Slate Law A Step Further
|
It’s part of a broader effort to make the commonwealth’s criminal justice system less punitive.
News
Tougher Immigration Policies Turn Detention Center Defender Against The ICE Facility
|
“There is a fear that the federal government is changing the immigration landscape in a negative way. I am not in support of the BCRC and its employees being associated with these extreme changes.”
App NEWS
At Election For PA’s GOP Chair, Candidates Call A Truce
|
In the days ahead of the state GOP leadership election, the party was braced for an ugly battle, but they managed to end on a convivial note by essentially splitting duties.
Government
Earmarks? WAMs? By Any Name, Conservative Group Says They Must Go
|
A conservative think tank is renewing one of its annual traditions: calling out state lawmakers for stashing money in the budget for municipal projects.
Government
Unclear How ICE Raids Will Impact PA, But Advocates Say They Still Breed Fear
|
Details on the raids seem to be in flux, but the New York Times and other outlets have reported they are slated for Sunday, and may target immigrants in at least 10 large cities who already have deportation orders.
Government
Despite GOP Objections, PA’s Governor Unilaterally Moves To Upgrade Voting Machines
|
Governor Tom Wolf is taking matters into his own hands when it comes to funding upgrades for Pennsylvania’s voting machines.
News
Wolf: PA’s Newly-Bolstered Reserve Fund Is ‘Pathetic,’ But A Big Improvement
|
State leaders have confirmed that this year, they’re poised to authorize the largest transfer to Pennsylvania’s rainy day fund in years: $317 million.
Crime and Justice
PA Passes Landmark Assault-Reporting Requirements For Colleges
|
Pennsylvania is in the early stages of enacting new requirements designed to reduce sexual assault on college campuses.
Government
After Veto, PA’s Governor And Republicans Appear Split On Voting Machine Money
|
A measure that county commissioners were counting on to fund voting machine upgrades recently met its end under Governor Tom Wolf’s veto pen.
Government
PA Senate Session Devolves Into Shouting As GOP Repeals Cash Assistance
|
“Mr. President you are becoming a partisan hack1 This is your job. Do your job Mr. President. Do your job!”
Government
PA House Plans To Give Governor More Than He Bargained For In Voting Machine Bill
|
“We want to be helpful to the county commissioners with these voting machines, since we were the ones who decided they were not proper.”
Government
Don’t Discuss Minimum Wage, GOP Speaker Tells Dems During PA Budget Debate
|
“Frankly it was outrageous. We have the ability, we need the ability to debate the issues that are relevant to the bill.”
Government
GOP To PA Governor: State Funding For Census Outreach Is Unnecessary
|
“No. The federal government funds the census, so there’s no need for state dollars to go into the census.”
Government
PA Lawmakers Cosign $34-Billion Budget, But Negotiations Continue
|
Democratic Appropriations Chair Matt Bradford said that while he has his gripes, “the simple reality is, there is much good news in this budget.”
App NEWS
PA’s Year-End Surplus Official. But It Won’t Last Long.
|
The Independent Fiscal Office said Friday that the commonwealth can count on ending the year with $910 million to spare. That’s a jump from their initial estimate of $866 million in May.
Government
PA Republicans Hope To Gut General Assistance By Tangling It With Medical Funds
|
They are shoehorning a repeal of the General Assistance program into a bill that also includes important money for medical assistance. Their strategy is that Wolf will sign the bill, or let it become law, because he won’t want to spike the medical funding.
Crime and Justice
Marsy’s Law Passes In PA, Now Heads To Voter Referendum
|
The bill doesn’t change much about the existing laws protecting crime victims. Jennifer Storm, the state’s Victim Advocate, said it would mainly give them standing to sue if those rights are violated.
Food and Farms
PA Congressmen Bring Their Milk Crusade To State Capitol
|
“If you look at the decline in milk consumption in our schools over the past nine years as a result of that misguided legislation, it actually tracks with the financial decline within the dairy industry.”
Government
After Easy Senate Passage, Justice Reinvestment Bills Face Skepticism In PA House
|
“The concept, I’m fully supportive of, I just want to make sure that the numbers add up and the dollars get where they need to go.”
Government
PA House Republicans Move To Cut State Spending
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“We have an $813 million surplus right now. So everybody out there believes we have $813 million dollars to spend when we really don’t.”
Government
PA Governor Meets With Protesters Outside His Home; They Talk General Assistance
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“We would like [Wolf] to send back any budget that eliminates and guts General Assistance…and will cause people to die.”
Government
PA Republicans Still Refuse To Fund Voting Machine Upgrades
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“If it’s something that he wants to have done, it is his unfunded mandate. He needs to figure out where the money comes from for it.”
Education
Rally At PA Capitol Pushes For A Shift In Education Funding
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“When it comes down to brass tacks if you will, I’m not sure that they’re willing to fund education in the magnitude that we believe it should be funded.”
Education
PA House Passes Charter School Package, But Funding Remains A Conundrum
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“As we contemplate any charter school bill…our school districts and our students and our teachers will insist on a conversation about how we fund charter school education.”
App NEWS
As Budget Talks Progress, PA’s Governor Renews Request For State Police Fee
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“I wish I could be the bearer of really good news here, but I’m not. This is something that we’re going to have to pay for. And if we don’t pay for it, we’re not going to get what we…deserve in police protection.”
Government
Republicans Look To Boost Private School Tax Credit. PA Governor Says He Doesn’t Get It
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“I don’t understand–that’s a 40 percent increase in an expenditure, and I haven’t heard any suggestion about how it’s going to be paid for. There’s something missing here.”
Government
Amid Internal Harassment Discussions, PA Lawmakers Push Reforms
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The effort comes on the heels of the Senate’s call for Montgomery County Democrat Daylin Leach to resign, in the wake of a provisional report about his treatment of staff.
Government
PA Lawmaker Responds To Mounting Calls For Resignation: ‘Absolutely not.’
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I never considered it for a second. This is nothing to do with anything in the report, this is because I embarrassed Jay Costa by releasing the exonerating report, and I embarrassed other people who had called for me to resign.”
App NEWS
Governor’s Infrastructure Plan Has Bipartisan Support, But Not From PA Leaders
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After touting it across the state for months, lawmakers have finally introduced Governor Tom Wolf’s ambitious infrastructure proposal as a concrete piece of legislation.
App NEWS
More Tax Credits? More Spending? PA Lawmakers Continue Their Clash Over Education
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“My concern is that we have students sitting in classrooms in some of our schools that have asbestos and lead in those classrooms. We need to make sure some money is given there.”
App NEWS
PA’s Minimum Wage, General Assistance Top Dems’ Budget Wishlist
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“I think we’ve got a really good opportunity this year. When I talk to my constituents, they ask me the question–why aren’t we raising the minimum wage?”
Government
Some PA Republicans Hope To Limit Spending By Future Lawmakers
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“Our proposals will reasonably limit future growth in state government spending to inflation, plus population growth.”
Government
PA Lawmakers Look To Cut Down On Legally Ambiguous ‘Games Of Skill’
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These “games of skill” are often installed in places like stores and gas stations that also have Lottery kiosks. Officials said that sort of setup could cost the Lottery more than $2,000 a month per game.
App NEWS
To Spend Or Not To Spend? PA Politicians Prepare For Annual Debate
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The state’s Independent Fiscal Office has reported that Pennsylvania is going to end the year more than $800 million above budget projections. About half will likely fill a hole in this year’s budget.
Economy
Overall Employment Up In PA, But There Are Trouble Spots
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Jobless rates can range significantly from one metropolitan area to another–from a low of 2.9 percent in Gettysburg and State College, to a high of 4.7 in East Stroudsburg and the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazelton metro.
Energy
Wolf Rejects PA Senate’s Infrastructure Proposal Funded By Forest Drilling
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After months of Democratic Governor Tom Wolf promoting a sweeping infrastructure plan funded by a tax on natural gas drillers, some Senate Republicans have come up with an alternative.
Government
As Trump Rolls Back Protections, Governor Pushes PA To Broaden Fight Against LGBTQ Discrimination
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The “easiest thing for us to do here in Pennsylvania is join every other neighboring state in the northeast and pass comprehensive nondiscrimination legislation.”
Government
Wolf Wants PA To Chip In $12.8-Million To Boost Census Responses
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“We need to act together. This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue. This is about all of Pennsylvania.”
Economy
Despite Slowing Economy, PA Bookkeepers Say State Finances Are Stable
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A newly-extended tax on online retailers is one of the biggest boons to Pennsylvania’s bottom line. About $165 million came directly from online sales–money the commonwealth previously couldn’t recoup.
Government
Portraits Of Immigrant Detainees Projected On Harrisburg Building By Activist Group
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“I mean it is inhumane to lock up families. That’s number one. You don’t lock up families, you don’t lock up children.”
Government
Wolf Still Trying To Sell PA Lawmakers On Lofty Infrastructure Plan
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Since January, Governor Tom Wolf has been traveling around the state shopping his new infrastructure plan to municipal and county officials.
Food and Farms
PA’s Governor Derides ‘Lack Of Strategy’ In Trump’s Trade War
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“It’s not just the tariffs. I think there’s chaos surrounding the tariffs. There’s a frustrating lack of strategy on the part of the administration.”
Government
PA House Passes Veto-Bound Abortion Bill Amid Constitutionality Questions
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“In Deuteronomy 31:19, it states, ‘this day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your children may live.”
Education
PA House Takes First Step Toward Charter School Overhaul
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“It is time to push the issue. We’ve been dealing with this long enough, and we’re going to push it.”
Crime and Justice
Merit Selection Supporters Trying To Woo Votes From Competing Amendment
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The state House is torn over how to update the system Pennsylvania uses to get judges onto its three highest courts.
Crime and Justice
PA House Settles On Rural-Friendly Path For Updating Judicial Elections
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“Just like we have diversity when we create statute, we should have diverse opinions from the vast diversity of Pennsylvania come into play when the courts are applying those statutes.”
Government
PA House Leaders: Members Should Stop One-Upping Each Other With Outrage
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“We saw some spirited debate today. That’s the way it should be, but we need to respect, and we all should respect the views of all Pennsylvanians. And we need to respect each other.”
agriculture
How To Make Farming More Stable? The PA Senate Has Seven Ideas.
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“One of the reasons why young people aren’t going into it (farming) is, they can’t make a dollar, can’t make a living.”
Education
Private School Tax Credit May Get Boost After Two-Day Debate
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The amount of money up for debate wasn’t huge by the Capitol’s standards. But lawmakers saw the bill as a symbol of tension between funding public and private schools.
Government
Fear Of Encroaching Gun Control Draws Hundreds To Harrisburg
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“We’re not going to just sit back and let our rights be chipped away by something that’s just a feel-good measure.”
Government
Gun Rights Supporters Set For Annual Rally At The PA Capitol
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Since 2006, hundreds of people have packed into the state Capitol once a year to argue in favor of gun rights. The group is is expected to be back in Harrisburg today.
Government
As March On Harrisburg Approaches, Lawmakers Take Stock Of Gift Laws
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“When you go in and you tell a legislator that what they’re doing day in and day out is wrong, that kind of rocks their worldview.”
Energy
PA Lawmaker Faces Backlash For Bringing Nazis Into Pipeline Debate
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“It’s a poor choice of words. It’s not a fair comparison. I mean these are working folk, these are salt-of-the-earth people.”
Crime and Justice
Opponents To PA’s Death Penalty Get A Bipartisan Boost
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An odd-couple pair of House lawmakers are teaming up on a bill that would get rid of the death penalty in Pennsylvania.
Crime and Justice
PA Republicans Move To Pick Judges By Region, But Clash On Details
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One constitutional amendment would get rid of Pennsylvania’s current system in which Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Court judges are picked in partisan, statewide elections.
App NEWS
One State, Two Disparate Visions For Natural Gas
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The state House Speaker and other Republican lawmakers announced a slate of bills Monday that are aimed at bolstering Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry.
Government
PA Study Shows Prisons Empower Their Communities, But Leach It From Poor, Urban Areas
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“Mass incarceration has resulted in 264,000 Pennsylvania residents being constitutionally underrepresented. Of those 264,000 residents, over 100,000 are black.”
News
PA Republicans Count On Trump Exceptionalism In 2020
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Pennsylvania is one of the key states the GOP–and Democrats–are targeting in the run-up to 2020.
App NEWS
Auditor: PA’s Funding Scheme Routed Billions Away From Bridge Repairs
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Pennsylvania could be spending billions more dollars to update aging roads and bridges, instead, the money is being re-routed to help fund state police.
Government
In Bid To Track Medicaid Dollars, PA Turns To Random Audits
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The random reviews are part of a new strategy to make sure contractors aren’t misusing Pennsylvania’s dollars.
Environment
Snot Otter? Lasagna Lizard? By Any Name, It’s PA’s Official Amphibian
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It may not be pretty, but supporters of the Eastern hellbender say it’s a vital reminder to keep streams and waterways healthy.
Crime and Justice
PA Inmates Get New Way To Receive Photos
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Starting this week, people incarcerated in state prisons can receive photo books–the kind that can be designed and ordered online.
Government
PA’s Legislative Black Caucus Wants To Improve Police, Community Relations
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It’s an effort that members say would hopefully ease the tensions that often exist between law enforcement and lower-income communities–particularly ones of color.
App NEWS
PA Lawmakers Target Antiquated “Blue Laws”
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In 1933, some long-gone group of lawmakers decided to ban people from playing football and baseball before 2 p.m. and after 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Crime and Justice
PA House Hopes To Approve Final Sex Abuse Reforms By Week’s End
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“I am definitely in favor of seeing cases expedited, but I think they need to be done with due protection for rights.”
Crime and Justice
How To Reduce Medicaid Fraud? PA Grand Jury Has Some Ideas.
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After an 18-month investigation into Medicaid fraud in Pennsylvania, a grand jury panel is suggesting state lawmakers make some changes to disrupt what they describe as “systemic” patterns of malfeasance.
Crime and Justice
Auditor General Praises Dwindling Rape Kit Backlog
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In 2015, the Department of Health reported more than 1,800 rape kits collected in Pennsylvania had been sitting, untested, for at least a year.
App NEWS
Gas, Nuclear Lobbies Butt Heads As PA Senate Takes Up Nuclear-Rescue Bill
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“No real reason has been given to pass this legislation, other than we need the money to enhance our profit margin and to charge more for nuclear power.”
Government
Questions Linger Over Details, Deadlines As PA Senate Resurrects Redistricting Overhaul
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A bill aimed at changing how Pennsylvania draws House, Senate, and congressional maps is getting another shot.
Government
How To Close The Wage Gap? PA Lawmakers Look To Family Leave.
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While it is technically illegal to base compensation on gender, Pennsylvania women still make an average of around 79 cents for every dollar a man does.
App NEWS
Once Again, Lawmakers Will Try To Reform PA’s Sexual Abuse Laws
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A pair of bills that would overhaul the laws governing child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania have cleared their first hurdle in the state House–passing through the Judiciary Committee with a near-unanimous vote.
App NEWS
PA Lawmakers, Wolf Rally For Extreme Risk Gun Bill
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Gun control bills are always a tough sell in Harrisburg, and this one is no different.
Government
PA Treasurer Calls On Embattled Democratic Senator To Resign
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Treasurer Joe Torsella said fellow Democrat Senator Daylin Leach has shown a troubling pattern of “lashing out” against people who have accused him of sexual misconduct.
News
PA Turnpike Escapes ‘Catastrophic’ Lawsuit, But Remains Heavily In Debt
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In order to service the debt, the turnpike has raised tolls every year for the last decade–a 200 percent increase overall.
Addiction
Why Legalize Weed? Poll Respondents Say It’s A Sign Of The Times.
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Pollsters said it’s not every day they see public opinion shift so rapidly.
ACA
Trump-Backed ACA Repeal Unwise For PA, Auditor Says
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Using data from the state Insurance Department, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said that north of 1.1 million people in Pennsylvania can attribute their healthcare to the ACA.
App NEWS
Should Citizenship Matter On US Census? PA Officials Say No
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They are concerned the proposed change might dampen responses. The Trump administration wants to use the census to ask people if they’re citizens.
Crime and Justice
Welfare Officers Reportedly Missed Red Flags In PA Teen’s Brutal Murder
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A report on the case from the commonwealth’s Human Services Department has found that investigators missed signs of abuse for years.
Government
PA House Positions Overhauled Statute Of Limitations Bills For Another Run
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Two state representatives are setting the stage for a push to change Pennsylvania’s laws governing sexual abuse.
App NEWS
Governor Cuomo Defends Fundraiser
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“If anyone suggests that any position I take is linked to a contributor,” Cuomo said, then they would be wrong.
Energy
40 Years Later, The Prospect Of A Three Mile Island Evacuation Remains
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“You can practice it in the best-case scenario, but what we know is people will be scared,”
Government
PA Republicans, Democrats Stake Out Positions In General Assistance Battle
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Republicans want to repeal Pennsylvania’s general assistance program, which gives small sums of cash to poor people.
App NEWS
On 1st Day, PA House’s Only Muslim Woman Deals With ‘Blatant Islamophobia’
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In a two minute invocation, a Christian lawmaker mentioned Jesus 13 times and praised the President for his unequivocal support of Israel.
Government
PA Lawmakers Bring Back Bill Penalizing Doctors For Abortions Due To Down Syndrome
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Organizations like Planned Parenthood have also derided the initiative it as a way to chip away at abortion rights.
Economy
The Poor People’s Campaign Is Back In PA’s Capitol, With A Long List Of Demands
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The campaign was renewed on a national scale in 2017. And over the last year, its chapter in Pennsylvania has begun making regular trips to the state Capitol.
Crime and Justice
ACLU Back In Court, Says Treatment Wait For PA’s Mentally Ill Inmates Still Too Long
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The ACLU first sued in 2015, when they say some people deemed unfit for trial were stuck in county facilities for over a year.
App NEWS
PA House Moves Janus-Enforcing Bill, But A Veto Likely Looms
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For the second year in a row, state House Republicans are trying to pass a bill that would require union employers to let new hires know they can opt out of collective bargaining.
Starting Today, Pennsylvanians Can Apply For Pardons For Free
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If you want to get a conviction scrubbed in Pennsylvania, you had better have at least $63 set aside.
Crime and Justice
ACLU Blasts PA Prison For ‘Blatantly Unconstitutional’ Legal Mail Policy
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Three weeks ago, the state prison system settled a lawsuit brought by the ACLU and other groups who said the Department of Corrections was violating inmates’ constitutional rights by making copies of legal mail.
Addiction
How To Stop Overdoses? One PA Lawmaker Wants To Perfect The “Warm Handoff”
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First responders in Pennsylvania—and elsewhere—have been reporting a recurring problem when reviving overdose victims. Often, they’re helping the same people, over and over.
Elections
Shrinking The PA Legislature? It’s Possible, But Unlikely.
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Pennsylvania’s general assembly is huge. But reducing its size would require some lawmakers to vote away their own jobs.
Education
PA House Resurrects Bills Overhauling Career And Technical Education
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A slate of eight bills aimed at bolstering career and technical education is on the move in the state House.
Featured in Category
Don’t Listen To Rand Paul About Vaccines, Says PA’s Health Secretary
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Pennsylvania’s Health Secretary wants to make sure no one’s putting too much stock in Rand Paul’s opinions about vaccines. In a recent health committee hearing, the Republican US Senator from Kentucky said vaccines shouldn’t be mandatory, and suggested they give people a false sense of security.
crime
Three PA Prison Staffers Arrested For Drug Smuggling
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The Department of Corrections has arrested three staff members at three different state prisons for trying to smuggle in drugs.
Government
Another Moderate PA Republican May Hit The Road
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One of the most middle-of-the-road Republicans in Pennsylvania’s state House may be taking his leave. Gene DiGirolamo is running for Bucks County Commissioner this year. If he wins, he’ll join a lengthening list of southeastern GOP-ers heading out of Harrisburg.
Food and Farms
Hemp Looks Like A Bright Spot For PA’s Farm Advocates
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Pennsylvania’s farming industry is changing. And the challenges—from falling dairy prices to young people leaving the industry to climate change—were front and center at a recent Agriculture Department budget hearing before a state House committee.
Government
Latest Move To Draw Consumers To State Owned Liquor Stores? PA’s Auctioning Really Old Scotch.
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In recent years, pressure has been building for Pennsylvania to privatize its state-run liquor industry .One of the common arguments against continued state control is that wine and liquor selection and quality in stores run by the Liquor Control Board can’t keep pace with independent stores in other states.
Economy
More PA Republicans Are Softening Their Opposition To Minimum Wage Hike
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One of Governor Tom Wolf’s perennially-unsuccessful policy suggestions may face better odds this year. A day after Senate GOP Leader Jake Corman said his caucus would be willing to consider increasing the state minimum wage, a high-ranking House Republican said the prospect isn’t out of the question for his caucus either.
Featured in Category
Secretary: Turnpike Could Be Headed For “Catastrophic” Reckoning
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Lawmakers grilled state transportation officials over the turnpike’s ongoing funding issues in a budget hearing Tuesday. The Turnpike Commission is behind on payments to the state amid a lawsuit over its rising tolls.
Crime and Justice
PA Prisons Have No Plans To Give Inmates Original Copies Of Their Mail
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For about five months, all mail sent to inmates in Pennsylvania’s state prisons has been routed through a processing facility in Florida, where it is searched and photocopied.Inmates get the copy. The original is destroyed, though it’s digitally retained for 45 days.
Featured in Category
Is This The Year PA Gives LGBTQ+ People Discrimination Protection?
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Like most states, Pennsylvania has a statute that grants certain groups of people extra legal protection against discrimination. It’s called the Human Relations Act, and it prohibits employment and housing discrimination on the basis of “race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, handicap or disability,” or use of guide and support animals. One group it misses? LGBTQ+ people.
Crime and Justice
Out Of Court Settlement In The Works Between ACLU and PA’s Prison System
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After a day in federal court, the state Corrections Department is settling a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups over a boost in legal mail security the groups say violated inmates’ First Amendment rights.
Crime and Justice
Trial Over PA’s Prison Mail Policy May Be Heading Toward A Settlement
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Planned testimony has been halted in a federal case contesting the legal mail policy used in Pennsylvania’s prisons. Instead, lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups bringing the case say they’re likely headed toward a settlement.
