News
Gov’s Basic Ed. Budget Plans Already Being Debated
Pennsylvania policymakers still aren’t on the same page when it comes to the current fiscal year’s public schools budget, let alone Governor Tom Corbett’s newly proposed education spending plan. For instance, Governor Tom Corbett made it a point to stress that basic education funding was not cut in June. “When the Obama Administration handed states […]
Shale Bill Passes State Senate
A Marcellus Shale bill has cleared the State Senate. The vote and debate held up the Governor’s budget address on Tuesday morning. The chamber approved the conference committee report on HB 1950 by a vote of 31 to 19. The bill would allow counties to impose a fee on natural gas drillers. 60% of […]
Governor Tom Corbett Proposes $27.139 Billion Budget
Governor Tom Corbett has unveiled his budget proposal for the 2012-13 fiscal year. The $27.1 billion spending plan comes in $10 million under the current year’s actual budget and represents what the governor calls a realistic budget in difficult times. Prior to the Governor’s speech to a joint session of the General Assembly, […]
Lawmaker Convicted in Political Corruption Trial in Harrisburg
A long time member of the state house has been convicted on political corruption charges. The jury returned the verdict in Harrisburg this morning on the third day of deliberations. Greene County Democrat Bill DeWeese was convicted of three counts of theft and one count each of conspiracy and conflict of interest after he was […]
Radio PA Roundtable 02.03.12
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/Roundtable02-03-12.mp3]
Research: Targeted Intervention can Curb Campus Drinking
The first few weeks of a semester are critical in shaping college students’ drinking habits, especially for freshmen, but new research out of Penn State is shedding light on strategies to curb dangerous drinking. The focus is on early intervention strategies, and Penn State research associate Dr. Michael Cleveland was able to categorize drinkers into […]
Hunter Treated After Coming in Contact with Rabid Deer
A hunter is receiving shots after coming into contact with a rabid deer. It’s not common, but every year the Pennsylvania Game Commission gets one or two reports of a deer coming down with rabies. In this case, spokesman Jerry Feaser says a hunter from Lancaster County field dressed the deer without gloves, and he […]
Governor Signs Bicycle Bill into Law
The legislation codifies the rules of the road so that police, motorists and bicyclists all understand their rights and responsibilities. “I’ve had a lot of close calls and a lot of misunderstandings,” says Joe Stafford, executive director of the statewide Bicycle Access Council. “We want to address those issues in the statutes, rather than just […]
Hear Punxsutawney Phil’s Official Proclamation
Listen to Punxsutawney Phil’s proclamation, as read by Groundhog Club Inner Circle Vice President Mike Johnston:Phil
Missed Opportunities on Marcellus Shale?
Severance tax advocates say legislative inaction is adding up to millions of dollars in lost revenue. In fact, the Pennsylvania Budget & Policy Center’s “Drilling Tax Ticker” crossed the $300-million dollar mark late last month. That’s money that Research Director Mike Wood says could be put to good use. “We’ve been making lots of cuts […]