Corbett Would Waste No Time Signing Voter ID Bill

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Citing 87% public support, Governor Tom Corbett says he would sign Voter ID legislation as soon as it gets to his desk.  “I look at it this way, it ensures one man, one vote,” Corbett says.  The bill being so hotly debated in the House would require all voters to show an approved form of photo ID every time they go to the polls. 

The January poll from Terry Madonna Opinion Research indicates that 47.2% of statewide voters “strongly favor” requirements that voters show a drivers license or other state issued identification before they can vote.  39.6% “somewhat favor” the concept. 

Governor Tom Corbett

Gov. Corbett addressed the media on Tuesday.

Next months’ primary would be a dry run, and the Voter ID bill would be enforced for the first time this November.  While critics balk that it’s too fast of an implementation, Corbett disagrees.  “This has been the subject of discussion for a number of years.  We have an election coming up.  Let’s get it done,” Corbett says.  “Quite honestly you could ask the question in reverse, Why not get it done?”

The governor’s budget plan sets aside $1-million to provide funds to issue non-drivers license identification cards to any voter who declares it necessary for voting purposes.  Democrats, however, argue that the actual cost of implementation would be $11-million. 

As of the time of this post, the House was still debating the bill.  If it concurs in Senate amendments, the House would send the bill directly to Corbett’s desk.

Fighter Jet Program has Economic Impact in PA

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Lockheed Martin has begun limited production of the F-35 Lighting II, a fifth generation fighter jet.  Three versions are being produced to meet the specific needs of the US Air Force, Marines and Navy.  The average age of America’s fighter jets is 22-years, according to Lockheed Martin’s Daniel Conroy, a retired Air Force Colonel.  “I flew the generation of fighters that this is replacing; it gives me a little bit of motivation to see the new aircraft get out there.”

The F-35 costs $65-million dollars to build and has more than 1,000 suppliers in 47-states.  Pennsylvania is home to 47-different suppliers, which officials say are already responsible for $65-million in economic impact and 1,000 jobs.  “Those numbers will only increase as the program ramps up,” Conroy says. 

Jim Cawley, F-35

Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley concentrates on "flying" the F-35 demonstrator.

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 simulator was stationed in the state capitol this week, where Lt. Governor Jim Cawley took it for spin.  “My hats off to those who fly the real ones, because everything they do in there has consequence,” Cawley said, as marveled at the sensitivity of the equipment. 

This reporter experienced the sensitive equipment first hand, being the first “pilot” of the day to run the simulator off the runway. 

State Rep. Frank Farry (D-Bucks) has introduced a resolution that would urge Congress to fully fund the F-35 program.  It notes that the F-35 is the most advanced fighter aircraft ever built.  HR 510 was unanimously voted out of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.  It now awaits a full House vote.

Pennsylvania Lottery Turns 40

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The Pennsylvania Lottery is the only lottery in the nation that designates all of its proceeds to help senior citizens.  That’s what state officials are highlighting as they celebrate the Pennsylvania Lottery’s 40th anniversary.  “Since then we’ve been able to generate $21.5-billion dollars to fund programs for our older Pennsylvanians, and that’s something we’re very proud of,” says lottery executive director Todd Rucci. 

Some of the programs funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery include the Property Tax / Rent Rebate Program, PACE & PACENET and the 52 area agencies on aging.   “It’s very important to Pennsylvanians because the lottery supports older Pennsylvanians,” says Secretary of Aging Brian Duke.  He joined Todd Rucci to mark the anniversary at a Dauphin County senior center this week. 

During recent appropriations hearings officials told state lawmakers the lottery’s new strategic plan seeks to broaden the player base, in part by better explaining where the proceeds go. 

The new plan also means the retirement of ‘Gus,’ Pennsylvania’s 2nd most famous groundhog, and a longtime lottery spokes-animal.  “The robotic nature of Gus… added about $140,000 dollars to the production costs of a commercial,” Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser explained to the House Appropriations Committee.  “So we thought we’d save a little bit of money and put him out to pasture for a little while.”   

The Legislative Budget & Finance Committee recently took a comprehensive look at the Pennsylvania Lottery.  It noted a looming spike in the state’s senior citizen population compared to the modest growth that’s being projected for state lottery revenues.

Mild Winter Could Lead to More Active Wildfire Season

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The mild winter we’ve been having could bring a higher risk for wildfires, depending on whether we have a soggy or dry spring.   We’ve already had a forest fire and some brush fires in parts of the state and it’s a reminder the lack of  a deep snow pack this winter can raise the risk.

Levi Gelnett, a wildfire prevention specialist for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, says a snow pack would have compressed the leaf litter, making it longer to dry out. But he says this year, the leaf litter is light and fluffy, allowing air to circulate, making it more flammable.

Gelnett says even a spark from a passing train or someone taking target practice can ignite a fire that can spread quickly. A big cause of wildfires in Pennsylvania is controlled burning that gets out of hand.  An unattended campfire apparently caused a recent forest fire north of Allentown. Carelessly tossed cigarettes can also lead to wildfires, but Gelnett says that’s a bigger problem in Western states.

Gelnett says a recent fire in Knox Township, Clearfield  County scorched 46 acres and was started by a person shooting targets.  He says the bullet created enough of a spark to ignite the fire. One person suffered burn injuries trying to put out the fire.

Gelnett says there are one hour fuels, like weeds, leaves and grass that can dry out quickly.  He says people should do controlled burns carefully on rainy days and make sure to rake any dry vegetation away from the burn barrel.  He recommends people  consider alternatives to burning debris. If a controlled burn gets out of hand, you should call 911.  The DCNR website has a list of burn restrictions across the state.

RadioPA Roundtable

Radio PA Roundtable 03.09.12

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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/Roundtable03-09-12.mp3]

Pennsylvania Reports Record Bear Season

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Pennsylvania is coming off a record bear harvest. Hunters took more than 4300 bears last year. Final figures will be available once the Pennsylvania Game Commission reconciles records from a few field-checked bears.

At the same time, Carl Roe, Executive Director of the Game Commission, told the House Game and Fisheries Committee that bear conflicts seemed to escalate last year for some people in more populated areas.  He says they’re seeing bears expand their range, going to areas where we don’t want a large population.

Roe told the panel they’ve responded by opening bear seasons on a weekend to expand hunter opportunity and expanded bear seasons in problem units to increase the harvest.  The commission has also initiated a study to investigate the movements and habitat use of bears in suburban areas.

Roe says there are areas where they want to see the bear population remain stable and others where they would like to see it reduced.  He says the intent is to have a very viable bear population for hunting opportunities.

Roe says they’re not trying to bring the population down to a great degree; they want to keep it in balance with the habitat that’s available.

Roe told the committee that he doesn’t believe the state will ever reach its biological capacity for bears.  He says Pennsylvania has some of the greatest habitat that’s out there. But he says the state will reach its social capacity, and in many areas they have what people will tolerate.

Democrats, Republicans Both Talking Delaware Loophole

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A group of House Democrats is displeased with the new Republican-led attempt to close the so-called Delaware Loophole, but the two sides appear to be getting closer in the process.  The Delaware Loophole essentially allows large, multi-state corporations to avoid paying Pennsylvania business taxes.    

Back in January, Republican Rep. Dave Reed (R-Indiana) introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at closing that loophole through the ‘expense add-back’ provision.  But Democratic Finance Chair Phyllis Mundy (D-Luzerne) calls it window dressing.  “The language is so broad and riddled with exceptions that it’s ineffective and meaningless in terms of closing the Delaware Loophole,” Mundy explained at a capitol news conference on Wednesday. 

Phyllis Mundy

State Rep. Phyllis Mundy (D-Luzerne)

Mundy still believes the best way to go about that is through a process called ‘combined reporting,’ but she recognizes the political will isn’t there, and now advocates what she calls a better version of the ‘expense add-back’ provision.  She contends the Reed bill would actually create a ‘loophole within a loophole’ by allowing companies to deduct expenses they deem to be for legitimate business purposes.  “Corporations would have little trouble finding a reason to claim a legitimate business purpose in order to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.” 

Rep. Reed sees the new developments as a positive step.  “I am just glad that Representative Mundy has finally come to the conclusion that there’s not support for combined reporting in Pennsylvania, and that an add-back provision is the better methodology of closing the Delaware Loophole, and that the revenue should be used for tax fairness across the board,” Reed tells Radio PA.   

Both lawmakers support plans that would use the newfound revenue to gradually lower the state’s corporate tax rate from 9.99% to 6.99% over the course of six years.

Reed says that unlike combined reporting, the add-back provision would target only the companies actually using the loophole.  He anticipates a House Finance Committee hearing to be scheduled on the topic later this month. 

Currently 35-states use either ‘combined reporting’ or ‘expense add-back’ as a way to promote business tax fairness.

Rick Santorum Takes Three States, GOP Race Continues

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    Rick Santorum won three states on Super Tuesday, tasting victory in North Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma. The former Pennsylvania Senator fell just short of taking the key state of Ohio, finishing a very close second to Mitt Romney.

    Romney won six states on Tuesday, including Massachusetts, where he served as governor. Newt Gingrich won his home state of Georgia. Ron Paul was shut out, winning no states and only picking up a little more than 20 delegates.

    Santorum’s showing on Tuesday means the race for the GOP nomination continues. The focus now shifts to Kansas, which holds it caucuses on Saturday. Then it’s on to Alabama’s primary on March 13th. Pennsylvania Republicans go to the polls on April 24th, and with every Santorum win, it’s looking more and more like the primary race will still be undecided once the vote comes to the Keystone State. If so, it would be the second time in the last two elections that Pennsylvania’s primary mattered. In 2008, the hotly-contested Democratic race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton gave us six weeks of heavy campaigning in the Commonwealth.

 

PA School Districts

State Education Officials Continue to Probe Possible Cheating on Standardized Tests

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Dozens of schools in Pennsylvania are still under scrutiny after an examination of standardized test scores raised questions. The state Education Secretary was asked about the situation during a budget hearing in the house appropriations committee  this week.

Ron Tomalis said that 51 schools in Philadelphia and schools in 21 other districts, including 4 charter schools, are still under review. He says the department will be making sure teachers in those schools do not proctor their own classes when the exams are given this year. In some schools, the state will have monitors present during the exams.

Tomalis told the house appropriations committee they’ve identified schools where the pattern does not appear to be isolated. He says in those schools,  the questions were building wide across a couple of subjects and a couple of grades. He says in other schools, there were patterns specific to just one or two proctors. He says it’s a shame they’re dealing with this situation.

More than 20 other districts have been cleared of wrongdoing.      The math and reading PSSA tests are scheduled to begin March 12th, with writing and science tests next month.

PHEAA Prepared to Bolster State Grant Program Again This Year

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The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is fiscally stable according to its president.   However, it’s contributions will not be enough to cover state funding cuts for college grant programs for the 2012-2013 academic year.

PHEAA has tentatively approved giving a 50 million dollar supplemental grant to the state grant program, as it did last year, thanks to earnings from servicing federal student loan programs.   

President James Preston told house appropriations committee chairman Bill Adolph that the supplemental grant would still not be enough to cover the loss of state funds for grants to college students.  He told the s committee  that the agency believes the average grant would  fall by $158  and the maximum grant would drop by $252.

Preston says PHEAA is servicing 106 billion dollars in federal student loan assets. The revenue earned by PHEAA helps cover its administrative costs.