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Governor Corbett Announces Lawsuit Against NCAA Over Penn State Penalties

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Governor Corbett is suing the NCAA in an effort to have the sanctions against Penn State thrown out.  He announced the federal anti-trust suit in State College.

The Governor is calling the sanctions against Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal arbitrary and illegal.  He said after months of research, he has concluded the sanctions were overreaching. He says they didn’t punish those charged, they punished past, present and future students of the University. Corbett believes the NCAA had no authority to punish the school.

Governor Corbett says Penn State had no practical alternative but to accept the sanctions.  He says the NCAA seized upon the opportunity for publicity for their own benefit to make a showing of aggressive discipline on the backs of the citizens of the Commonwealth and Penn State University.

The Governor consulted with Attorney General Linda Kelly before proceeding with the legal action, but did not consult with incoming Attorney General Kathleen Kane.  He says the suit is not a political case, it’s being filed on behalf of the citizens of Pennsylvania, the businesses in State College and Centre County and throughout Pennsylvania that are being harmed by this.

The sanctions banned the school from bowl games for four years. They also stripped the school of  a number of scholarships and removed 112 victories from the record books.

The NCAA issued a statement calling the legal action without merit, saying  it’s an affront to all of the victims in this tragedy. The University issued a statement saying it’s not a party to the suit and has not been involved in its preparation.

 

RadioPA Roundtable

Radio PA Roundtable 12.21.12

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman brings you Governor Tom Corbett’s thoughts on the Connecticut school massacre and the political debates that have resulted. The governor also talks about Christmases past and you’ll hear from an author whose book “Fading Ads of Philadelphia” makes a great last-minute stocking stuffer for the native Philadelphian on your list.

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable12-21-12.mp3]

Will PA Take Medicaid Expansion Option?

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Governor Tom Corbett has already decided against a state-based insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act, but he’s still mulling whether to take an option to expand Medicaid.  The federal health care law expanded Medicaid to cover people up to 138% of the federal poverty line, but the courts have since made in optional for the states.

The federal government would pick up the vast majority of the tab, and state Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) is urging the governor to opt-in.  “That is a $4-billion dollar windfall for the people of Pennsylvania.  That’s $4-billion dollars of new investment in our health care network across the Commonwealth,” Hughes tells reporters.

Supporters say it will ensure health care coverage for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, save on uncompensated care costs and stimulate the economy.  Critics say it will financially burden the Commonwealth, and question how the federal government can truly fund its share of such a massive Medicaid expansion when it’s $16-trillion dollars in debt. 

In a statement, Governor Tom Corbett said he will continue to seek guidance from the US Department of Health and Human Services on the costs, impacts and flexibility involved in the state’s options.

Corbett Passes on State-Run Health Insurance Exchange

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With too many unanswered questions about the cost and regulation, Governor Corbett has decided not to pursue a state-based health insurance exchange.  Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine calls it the best decision under the circumstances.  “What we’ve been finding out, as we’ve been going through this process and learning more information, is that the level of control and autonomy and flexibility that we thought we would have in a state exchange may not be there,” Consedine explains. 

The grassroots group Americans for Prosperity has been working the phones to lobby the administration and legislature on this issue all year, and state director Jennifer Stefano calls it the right move for the taxpayers.  “You have no control… but by the way – hey taxpayers – along with the 21 other taxes in Obamacare, you’re now going to pay for it,” she says in explaining the grassroots group’s stance on the exchange. 

While the governor’s decision comes as a disappointment to the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, director Antoinette Kraus is focused on the positive.  “Even though Governor Corbett has decided not to move forward with the state-based exchange, folks will still be able to access health insurance on January 1st, 2014, and that’s a good thing for working families and small businesses here in Pennsylvania,” she tells Radio PA. 

Kraus was referring to the fact that the federal government will now assume the responsibility of running Pennsylvania’s health insurance marketplace, under the Affordable Care Act.  PA is one of 28 states to allow the feds to run its exchange.  These states will still be allowed to opt-in at a later date.

RadioPA Roundtable

Radio PA Roundtable 12.07.12

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman and Matt Paul bring you the Corbett Administration’s mid-year budget analysis as the 2012-13 fiscal year reaches the midway point; Democrats tell you their priorities for the new year; and we bring you information on a new way to make a difference to Pennsylvania’s children’s hospitals.

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable12-07-12.mp3]