Members of the House and Senate transportation committees got a crash course on Pennsylvania Turnpike finances this week. But it’s a good thing there was no pop quiz, because many of them were left with more questions than answers. “My head is spinning. Is there a crisis or isn’t there a crisis?” asked Rep. Mike […]
The new bill would incentivize qualified companies to relocate to Pennsylvania by allowing them to keep up to 95% of the Personal Income Tax they withhold on behalf of their employees. It’s dubbed Promoting Employment across Pennsylvania (or PEP!). “Employers that bring a certain number of jobs, pay good wages and provide quality benefits […]
The state Education Secretary says the results of the 2011-12 PSSA tests reflect actual student performance after an investigation of exams from three previous years. Compared to the 2010-11 results, the latest Pennsylvania System of School Assessment scores declined by 1.4% in math and 1.6% in reading These are the first tests since the state […]
Pennsylvania’s public pension crisis extends beyond the two big state employee plans. The Keystone State is home to 3,200 different municipal pension plans, and Auditor General Jack Wagner says many of them are in fiscal distress. Wagner is authorized to audit about 2,600 of those plans, and his new special report finds that 36% […]
You can help put Pennsylvania history on display, as the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is looking for nominations for its historical marker program. Pennsylvania’s landscape is dotted with more than 2,600 of those familiar blue and gold markers, and program coordinator Karen Galle doesn’t expect to run out of qualified nominees anytime soon. “Every […]
On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman and Matt Paul bring you the latest twists and turns in the Voter ID case. Auditor General Jack Wagner talks about municipal pensions, and how did the Starland Vocal Band get a mention in the show? Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on […]
The NCAA has tapped a task force to figure out how to administer the endowment fund to be created with a record $60-million dollar fine levied against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The NCAA sanctions called for that money to be used to fund programs that help to prevent child […]
The state house Education Committee is considering a bill to add child exploitation to the health curriculum in Pennsylvania schools. The committee held a hearing on HB 2318. The sponsor of the bill, Representative Mauree Gingrich (R-Leb) says over 90% of abusers are well known to the child. She says the bill would help educate […]
Breweriana collectors from across the country are converging on Lancaster County this Friday and Saturday for a one-of-a-kind auction. Beer taps, beer signs and beer glasses will all be up for bid… but beer cans are the big draw. “There’s a number of cans in there that are expected to bring $10, $20, $30 thousand […]
The state’s highest court issued a ruling today, which sends the controversial Voter ID case back to Commonwealth Court for further investigation. The seven page order indicates that photo ID requirements are, in fact, constitutional but the question remains implementation. The Supreme Court cites an aggressive timetable and an implementation process that’s been anything but […]