Pennsylvania Perspective for Monday, June 10, 2024

Pennsylvania

Lawmakers Poised to Include Changes to Cyber Charters in This Year’s Budget

Democratic and Republican state lawmakers tout the cyber charter reforms as a potential avenue of savings, claiming that such changes could produce up to $530 million. The bill, if passed, will essentially cap district tuition funneled to charters, alter disabled students’ tuition calculations, and enhance oversight. Spotlight PA has more.

PA House Set to Vote on Educational Funding Reform

Pennsylvania lawmakers in the State House will vote on House Bill 2370, which if passed, will transform how school districts receive capital from the Commonwealth. The bill originated from a lawsuit that asserted schools in lower-income areas fail to appropriate the necessary funds to ensure an equal and equitable education for their students. It will provide approximately 370 underserved schools with $5 billion and allocate an additional $1 billion to school districts in areas hit hard by high local tax rates. WNEP has more.

Gov. Shapiro, GOP at Odds About How to Make College More Affordable

Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Republicans agree that college in the Commonwealth must be made more affordable. However, while the Governor wants to merge state-funded institutions with community colleges, GOP state legislators push to create new scholarships that prioritize “in-demand” employment. The governor’s plan intends to raise funding and limit tuition to $1,000 per semester. The GOP’s plan will provide financial incentives for students staying in Pennsylvania post-graduation. WESA has more.

Lawsuit Argues That Mail Ballots with Dating Errors Should Count in PA

The ACLU, among other groups in the commonwealth, filed suit, alleging that Pennsylvania’s current election law (Act 77) that requires a mail-in ballot’s envelope to possess a valid date, violates the Pennsylvania State Constitution. The groups request that in order for a vote to be legal, it need not require an accompanying date. WGAL has more.

Donations to Small Games of Chance Nonprofits Too Low? 

Critics of Pennsylvania’s Small Games of Chance Law suggest that proceeds to community nonprofits should be much higher. The current law limits single chance rewards to $2,000 each and $35,000 per week, which The Mechanicsburg Club argues, hinders donations. The club thus requests that the cap be elevated to $100,000 for weekly rewards. PennLive has more.

EPA Requiring New Regulations on U.S. Steel and Coke Plants 

The EPA’s new rule will force steel and coke plants to install fenceline monitoring to enhance emission oversight. The rule cites that if a plant exceeds its enumerated cap on benzene, it must immediately act to mitigate the high quantities of gaseous discharge. WESA has more.

Philadelphia

UArts Students, Staff Demand Answers 

On the day the 150-year-old institution shut its doors, University of the Arts (UArts) students and faculty posed for a final photograph on Broad Street. Beforehand, however, a union of university faculty coordinated a rally, during which students and staff vowed retribution against the powers at play for the closure. WHYY has more.

Philly Property Taxes Set to Increase

The city will phase out former Mayor Jim Kenney’s property reassessment freeze, commencing a round of steep property valuations that will account for roughly two years of gains. Philadelphia’s City Council greenlit the budget last Thursday, which had a property tax levy of 1.3998%. Mayor Cherelle Parker anticipates residential property revenue to rise by 8%, while commercial revenue will likely stay the same due to many Philadelphians still working from home. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.

Mayor Parker’s Cleanup Initiative Commences 

The 13-week plan aimed at sweeping streets, filling potholes, and sprucing up SEPTA stations will enlist working crews from twelve different city agencies. The initiative is set to conclude before Labor Day. Axios Philadelphia has more.

Pittsburgh

County Executive Demands Affordable Housing Expansion 

County Executive Sara Innamorato is calling on Allegheny County to implement 500 affordable housing options in the next 500 days. Her ambitious proposal targets Pittsburgh residents of the lowest income brackets who currently reside in homeless city shelters. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has more.

Education Leaders in Western PA Aim to Address Teacher Shortages

In October of 2023, 2,000 Pennsylvania teacher vacancies left Pennsylvania schools in dire straits. While substitutes filled roughly 60% of those positions, the situation remains dire. And with shortages especially abundant in Western Pennsylvania, educational leaders in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas want to get ahead of the 2024-25 School Year. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has more.

Federal

Beltway Briefing: Biden’s Age Concerns: GOP Deflection or Democratic Panic?

With the Trump hush-money verdict in, Trump supporters are more emboldened than ever in their backing of the former president. Meanwhile, concerns are reignited over Biden’s age — is this merely a Republican deflection, or are Democrats genuinely panicking? In an effort to rally support, Biden might be playing politics at the Southern Border with his latest Executive Order restricting immigration, but is it too little, too late? Listen to the latest episode featuring Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, the Hon. Rodney Davis, and Kyle Anderson here.

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