The jobless rate in Pennsylvania held steady last month. Even as the nation’s unemployment rate rose a tenth to 8.2% in May, the Commonwealth’s jobless rate held at 7.4%, unchanged from April. The state Department of Labor and Industry says it marks the 49th consecutive month that the state’s rate has remained below the national […]
Late blight has been confirmed in four Pennsylvania counties (Blair, Franklin, Lancaster & Mifflin), and the count is likely to increase as additional samples are analyzed. “It’s the same pathogen and disease that caused the Irish potato famine,” explains Penn State Extension plant pathologist Beth Gugino. While late blight has only been found in commercial […]
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On the chopping block this budget season is the cash portion of the state’s General Assistance program in the Department of Public Welfare. The $150-millon dollar effort provides more than 60,000 recipients with monthly checks of around $200-dollars. Those recipients most often include the disabled, sick and those fleeing domestic violence. “General Assistance is the […]
Senate Republicans announced a pension reform proposal late last month, now there’s a House package. The two house bills would require future state and school district employees to enroll in a defined contribution plan, similar to a 401K. The state or school district would contribute 4% and the employee would have to contribute at least […]
Debate began Monday evening on the latest version of a plan to get state government out of the booze business. Majority Leader Mike Turzai asked, “Why is Pennsylvania so anachronistic? Why is Pennsylvania not willing to focus on its citizens and consumers?” Turzai has been the leading voice on liquor store privatization. His latest plan […]
The Legislative Reapportionment Commission has approved a new final plan for redrawing state house and senate lines; more than four months after the state’s highest court rejected the first plan. But Senate Democrats are still not happy with the plan. Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa voted against it, saying it still had too many unnecessary […]