PA News

(Kirsten Smith:The Center Square) – Lawmakers on the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee unanimously endorsed a bill Monday that gives kids a chance to repeat a grade after falling behind from COVID-19 disruptions. Senate Bill 664 would give parents the option to voluntarily hold their child back – once a decision that remained the purview of the

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania House lawmakers support reinstating work search requirements for unemployment claimants and said loosened regulations will bolster the state’s economic recovery. The Department of Labor & Industry said, however, that the manpower shortage businesses face is not a result of suspended work search requirements or the $300 weekly jobless benefit enhancement

(The Center Square) – The same day public health officials announced an easing of the last COVID-19 restrictions, state lawmakers moved a bill that would make at least one pandemic rule permanent: takeout cocktails. The House Liquor Control Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to advance a proposal that would allow bars and restaurants to sell as much as

(The Center Square) – A Philadelphia union faces legal action after a New Jersey-based food distributor claims an impending strike violates its collective bargaining agreement. J. Ambrosi Food Distribution filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania last week alleging that officials from Teamsters Local 929 harassed its workers and threatened their jobs if they refused

(The Center Square) – A proposed program designed to bring conservation-friendly financial resources to farmers across Pennsylvania could come to fruition if recently introduced legislation is enacted. State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Bradford, is the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 465, which calls for the creation of an agricultural conservation assistance program. The legislation currently is in

(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said last week proposed tolls for nine interstate bridges won’t be permanent. PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday that the tolls will remain in effect for the length of the contract the state enters into with the private developer responsible for

(The Center Square) – Public health officials in Pennsylvania are saying they will not follow in New York’s footsteps and adopt vaccine passports. Rather, acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said during a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting Thursday that the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force sees easing hesitancy as its most urgent priority. “Really, what

(The Center Square) – Republican senators issued Gov. Tom Wolf an ultimatum on Thursday in yet another effort to derail the state’s entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  In a letter to Wolf signed by 27 members of the Senate Republican Caucus and Sen. John Yudichak, I-Luzurne, the lawmakers said they would not confirm his nominee

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania said 110,000 new residents qualify for financial assistance when buying health insurance in the state-run marketplace thanks to an expansion of credits under the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.  The congressional aid package increases premium tax credits for all income levels in 2021 and 2022, the Department of Health said

Spotlight PA Staff Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. With the continued decline in local news across Pennsylvania, partisan groups are taking advantage by launching efforts that mimic traditional news operations but

(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has launched a new grant program aiming to help the state’s farmers with a variety of projects. “Pennsylvania’s more than 53,000 farms are the backbone of our reliable food system,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “They are the heart of Pennsylvania, just like this $1 million

(The Center Square) – While the revenue-generating events schedule within the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center was nixed this past year, the Harrisburg-based venue remains on a solid financial footing, a state official reported recently. The vitality of the 24-acre complex, long viewed as a sign of Pennsylvania’s largest industry, has come into

(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Tuesday it has advised all providers to stop using Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after six inoculated women developed rare blood clots. The Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the same as the agencies probe the incidents,

(The Center Square) – Despite an influx of COVID-19 vaccines to Pennsylvania over the past month, the rate of residents 65 and older fully immunized still ranks near the bottom of all 50 states, according to federal data. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 47.1% of residents 65 and older are fully vaccinated

(The Center Square) – A bill pending in the Pennsylvania General Assembly opens a two-year litigation window for survivors of child sex abuse to sue their perpetrators after a botched constitutional amendment set back the issue until 2023. House Bill 951 passed the lower chamber Wednesday on a vote of 149-52. The measure would loosen the

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity said Tuesday her office needs a $3 million budget increase to hire more staff, replace equipment and bolster its fraud protection services after a taxing year under pandemic conditions. “I’m a committed fiscal conservative and am dedicated to frugality and the wise use of taxpayer dollars,” she said during

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday marks the end of a three-week campaign to vaccinate school workers across the state. As of April 2, the administration said more than 112,500 educators and support staff received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The state estimated about 200,000 residents were eligible under

Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. A version of this story originally appeared in our free weekly newsletter. New Jersey. New York. Virginia. One by one, Pennsylvania’s neighbors are moving to legalize

(The Center Square) – Americans for Tax Reform said Wednesday that President Joe Biden’s plan to raise corporate taxes to fund a $2 trillion infrastructure package will translate into higher electricity bills for Pennsylvania residents.  John Kartch, vice president of communications for the group, noted that utility companies pay corporate income taxes, and the rates customers pay remain tied

(The Center Square) – Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Pittsburgh, said Tuesday his caucus can’t accept a Republican proposal to raise the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour. “We don’t believe it’s the right number, and we believe it needs to be higher, and we think it’s something we need to push for,” he said during

(The Center Square) – A state judge dismissed a lawsuit on Friday that challenged the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s restrictions on Medicaid coverage for abortions. Commonwealth Court President Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt said the petitioners – including seven reproductive health care centers that provide 95% of abortions across the state – lack standing because she “can ascertain no

(The Center Square) — A high-ranking Republican lawmaker in Pennsylvania said Wednesday the state should withhold funding from schools that don’t return to in-person instruction full time. Appropriations Chairman Stan Saylor, R-York, said he will push other House lawmakers to amend the state’s School Code to prevent districts, technical schools, community colleges or universities from accessing $16.6

Sarah Anne Hughes Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. A version of this story originally appeared in our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG — Amending the Pennsylvania Constitution is a lengthy process that ends at the ballot box, where

(The Center Square) – The effort to extend the litigation window for survivors of child sexual abuse suffered a crushing blow this week after lawmakers blocked an emergency constitutional amendment necessary to get the measure on the ballot in May. Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Greensburg, said Monday her caucus concluded that elevating the amendment

(The Center Square) – The American Rescue Plan delivered more than $5 billion in stimulus to Pennsylvania’s 501 school districts, but senators last week urged caution when spending the “windfall.” Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday that some of the money comes with strings attached so that schools

Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The majority of news outlets in Pennsylvania rank high on trustworthiness, but there is a growing crop of digital

(The Center Square) – A group of Republican senators said this week the state of Pennsylvania should deliver more financial and tax relief to small businesses struggling amid the pandemic. The Prioritize PA: Small Business Initiative, a package of five bills, does just that, says co-sponsoring Sens. Ryan Aument, R-Lititz; Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington; Judy Ward, R-Hollidaysburg; and

(The Center Square) – Gov. Tom Wolf’s call to raise Pennsylvania’s personal income tax amid a broader plan of infusing $4 billion in revenue into the state budget was scrutinized by a number of senators at a recent budget hearing. When Matthew Knittel, director of the state Independent Fiscal Office, went before members of the

Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. A version of this story originally appeared in our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG — When Republican lawmakers come together for their annual retreats this month and next

(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services said Wednesday the latest federal stimulus package will help it prepare for life beyond the pandemic in the face of rising costs. “This is going to be huge,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller during a budget hearing with the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This is a

(The Center Square) – A report from the Tax Foundation concludes that Pennsylvania will receive more than $13 billion in aid from the next federal stimulus package. This equals about 10,000% more than necessary to cover the state’s $67 million revenue loss, according to the foundation’s analysis. Nationally, states lost a combined $1.7 billion, representing less than

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Budget Secretary Jen Swails spent three hours defending Gov. Tom Wolf’s spending plan – a proposal many Republicans criticize as lofty and unrealistic – before the House Appropriations Committee this week. The meeting concluded three weeks of hearings with different state agencies over how Wolf’s $37.8 billion proposal, partly funded

(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services needs $941 million extra in its budget this year to service the state’s aging population. For some lawmakers, however, the “overspend” represents years of mismanagement under Gov. Tom Wolf that’s led to a 40% increase in the DHS’s budget since he took office in 2015.

(The Center Square) — Pennsylvania lost 500,000 jobs in 2020, the Department of Labor and Industry said, and there’s no understanding of when – or if – those positions will return.  “We don’t know the reason why they were lost or if they are coming back,” acting Secretary of Labor Jennifer Berrier told the House Appropriations Committee

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday that cutting funding and increasing accountability for underperforming charter schools makes better use of taxpayer dollars than the current system. “If we don’t fix the problems in our charter schools now, we are setting our children up for failure and that’s unacceptable,” Wolf said during a news

(The Center Square) – A bipartisan duo of senators introduced a measure Wednesday to legalize adult use cannabis in Pennsylvania. It’s the first time a Republican member of the chamber has cosponsored the proposal – typically endorsed solely by Democrats, including Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman. “That’s kind of the elephant in the room,

By Christen Smith | The Center Square (The Center Square) – A bipartisan duo of senators introduced a measure Wednesday to legalize adult use cannabis in Pennsylvania. It’s the first time a Republican member of the chamber has cosponsored the proposal – typically endorsed solely by Democrats, including Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman. “That’s kind

(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said Tuesday specifics about a plan to toll nine bridges across the state remains under development, though drivers may see the fees as soon as 2023. “Nothing is final,” Transportation Secretary Yassmin Gramian said during a House Appropriations Committee budget hearing. “Nothing is definite yet.” The plan – a result of

(The Center Square) – Gov. Tom Wolf signed a 90-day statewide emergency declaration for COVID-19 on Friday, the fourth such order since March 6, 2020. “COVID-19 vaccinations have begun, but we are still in the early stages of vaccine administration,” he said. “We will continue to prioritize a safe, efficient and equitable distribution process, and expect vaccinations

Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — When Pennsylvania passed a new formula to distribute money for public schools in 2016, it was hailed as a

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania lawmakers wanted to know this week how the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary could justify seeking more for its annual budget at a time when overall inmate populations are dropping. Corrections Secretary John Wetzel is asking for a 2.5 percent increase, and during Wednesday’s budget hearing before the House Appropriations

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal Office said Tuesday that raising the state’s minimum wage would stimulate economic growth, even though it increases costs for employers. “It would overall increase economic growth because it is an income transfer from higher income to lower income individuals,” said Matthew Knittel, executive director of the IFO, the state’s independent fiscal

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania health officials said Friday vaccine providers must hit new administration benchmarks or risk a cut to their weekly supply. Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam told reporters that providers must administer 80 percent of their supply as first doses to residents covered under vaccination Phase 1A within seven days. The

By Christen Smith | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said he’s confident Republicans may support raising the state’s minimum wage, even if it’s to a rate lower than his proposed $15 an hour. “I think Republicans in the House and Senate have already shown an appetite for raising the minimum

(The Center Square) – Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday his administration will lead a joint legislative COVID-19 task force – including lawmakers from both parties – to improve the state’s vaccine rollout. The decision follows months of complaints from Republican majorities in the House and Senate that center on the administration’s unilateral policymaking on pandemic

Jamie Martines of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. SULLIVAN COUNTY — Robert Keen figured his year of dodging the coronavirus was over. At 84, the retired ambulance driver —

(The Center Square) – Gov. Tom Wolf’s $37.8 billion spending proposal prioritizes a $2 billion boost in public education funding to tackle crumbling school buildings, stagnating teacher salaries and dwindling achievement among disadvantaged students. But charter schools and the 170,000 students they serve across the state would see their funding cut under the governor’s plan through policies

(The Center Square) – More details emerged Wednesday about Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal to hike personal income taxes on the top third of earners, claiming in his annual budget address that the rest would see no increase at all. Wolf said charging “financially secure” residents more to help those with less succeed while directing those

Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG— Pennsylvania’s top election official will resign after her agency made a mistake that will delay a statewide vote on whether