What’s Happening in Pennsylvania?
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Senator Hughes proposes legislation to reduce poverty in PA
Senator Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia / Montgomery) today announced plans to introduce a pair of bills designed to assist lawmakers in reducing the commonwealth’s poverty and deep poverty rates. These proposals, SB360 and SB361 will take a data-driven approach to public policy to ensure that lawmakers are fully informed of the potential impacts of legislation…
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As work for welfare battle continues, Wolf admin will put a new spin on old jobs programs
From Pennsylvania Capital-Star As legislative Republicans again push to require work for welfare benefits, the Wolf administration is redesigning ineffective job training for the state’s poorest parents. Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration are strongly opposed to adding work requirements for programs like Medicaid, fearing that older, sicker people could lose their health care. The…
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University leaders look to the state to help them achieve their tuition freeze goal
From pennlive.com The presidents at Penn State, Pitt and Temple are looking to the state to make it possible for them to announce a tuition freeze for their students for next year. All three leaders said that was their desired goal in arriving at the amount of state funding their schools were requesting for 2019-20.…
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State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie offers bill aimed at getting schools, employers together on job-readiness
From the Reading Eagle State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Lehigh County Republican who represents part of Berks County, said in a news release last week that he reintroduced legislation he wrote several years ago to help increase awareness among middle and high school students about potential career opportunities in high-demand fields. Mackenzie said his proposal,…
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Minimum Wage, Possible Economic Downturn Loom Over State Budget
From wesa.fm / Associated Press Every year after Pennsylvania’s governor makes his budget pitch to the House and Senate, lawmakers hold weeks of budget hearings with state departments and agencies to get a sense of the way money is being spent, and what should change. They kicked off this week with the Independent Fiscal Office,…
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STEM, computer science enhancement in Pa. schools gets nearly $10M in grants
From pennlive.com Continuing the rollout of his groundbreaking PAsmart initiative, Gov. Tom Wolf announced $9.6 million in PAsmart advancing grants to enhance science and technology education in schools statewide. Combined with PAsmart targeted grants announced last month, the Wolf administration has awarded nearly $20 million this year to bolster STEM and computer science (CS) in…
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PA minimum wage hike proposal loudly challenged during first day of budget hearings
From pennlive.com Hearings on Gov. Tom Wolf’s $34.1 billion budget plan kicked off Monday with a volley of Republican attacks on the prospect of raising the minimum wage, signaling a tough road ahead for a new proposal the Democrat is backing. The first House Appropriations Committee budget hearing featured members of the Republican majority repeatedly…
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Lawmakers reach deal on budget to avoid another government shutdown
From pennlive.com Congressional negotiators reached agreement to prevent a government shutdown and finance construction of new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, overcoming a late-stage hang-up over immigration enforcement issues that had threatened to scuttle the talks. Republicans were desperate to avoid another bruising shutdown. They tentatively agreed Monday night to far less money for President…