News
Child Abuse Bills Await Governor’s Signature
Under current law teachers are “mandated reporters” of child abuse, but state Senator Pat Vance (R-Cumberland) says only 15% of school districts provide any kind of training to help them recognize it. Vance is the prime sponsor legislation that will require school employees, who have direct contact with children, to receive at least three hours […]
Lawmakers Mull Expanded Education Tax Credit
Potential education reforms are being debated under the capitol dome ahead of Saturday’s state budget deadline. One of them would expand the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program with a sub-program that targets low-income families in the state’s worst performing schools. It was characterized at Monday’s House Education Committee hearing as “EITC 2.0.” While […]
Jerry Sandusky Guilty: Now What?
The conviction of Jerry Sandusky on 45 of 48 counts of child sex abuse sent the former Penn State assistant football coach to jail while he awaits sentencing, which is expected in September. Meanwhile, the defense is preparing an appeal of the conviction. Lead defense attorney Joe Amendola says there are several grounds for an appeal, […]
Radio PA Roundtable 06.22.12
Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week. Professionally produced and delivered every Friday, Roundtable includes commercial breaks for local sale and quarterly reports for affiliate files. Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast: [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable06-22-12.mp3]
Negotiators Agree to Budget Framework, Tax Credit
Governor Tom Corbett has repeatedly said that June 30th means something to him. With Wednesday night’s announcement that he and top Republican lawmakers have agreed to a $27.656-billion dollar budget framework, it appears that Pennsylvania is on pace to meet a second consecutive budget deadline. Neither Corbett nor the legislative leaders were willing to discuss […]
House Won’t Revisit Liquor Store Debate until the Fall
With the June 30th budget deadline fast approaching, House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) has decided to hold off on further liquor store privatization debate until the fall. That gives Turzai the summer to build consensus around a privatization plan with the help of Governor Tom Corbett. “Nobody in Pennsylvania has a better bully pulpit […]
PA’s Pension Woes Not Unique
Wisconsin is the only state with a fully-funded public pension system, according to a new report from the Pew Center on the States. “Overall the 50-states have a $1.38-trillion dollar funding gap between what they should have set aside to pay for their retirement promises – both pensions and retiree health care – and what […]
Table Games Revenue Up for May
May was a good month for table games overall in Pennsylvania, but the numbers were helped by the newest casino. The state Gaming Control Board is reporting a 7.4% increase in table games revenue for May. There were 140 new tables operating compared to May of last year, and 50 of them at the newest […]
Pennsylvania’s Jobless Rate Unchanged
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 […]
Home Gardeners Beware
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 […]