Government Affairs & General UpdatesAugust 2, 2023 1. Pa. Senate’s top official says stalled state budget will be finalized in August – The Pennsylvania Senate will return in August to finalize the 2024 state budget, according to President Pro Tempore Kim Ward. Both chambers of the General Assembly adopted a $45.5 billion budget but the…
Read More Government Affairs & General UpdatesAugust 1, 2023 1. House lawmaker seeks to ensure funding for essential services during impasse. A House lawmaker wants to ensure that state payment for delivery of essential services continues during a state budget impasse. Rep. Marla Brown, R-Lawrence, plans to introduce a bill to declare payments funneled by three state…
Read More Government Affairs & General UpdatesJuly 31, 2023 1. Ward says budget negotiations continue and Senate could return to Capitol in August. Senate President Pro Tem Kim Ward said Friday that budget negotiations have resume and that lawmakers could return to the Capitol in August while still maintaining that Gov. Josh Shapiro could smooth the process…
Read More Government Affairs & General Updates July 28, 2023 1. ChamberPAC issues endorsements for statewide appellate court races – Congrats to Judge Smail!!!!!!!! ChamberPAC, the bipartisan political action committee of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, today announced its slate of endorsed candidates for statewide judicial office in the upcoming General Election on Tuesday, November…
Read More Government Affairs & General UpdatesJuly 27, 2023 1. Senators spar over school choice in Pennsylvania – While the Pennsylvania budget stalemate remains, senators argued over the importance of school choice and increasing public school funding at a committee hearing in Reading. The Senate Education Committee met Tuesday to discuss “student opportunities for success,” hearing from…
Read More Government Affairs & General UpdatesJuly 26, 2023 1. Budget includes line item to help PASSHE universities eliminate old debt. A $65.4 million appropriation to provide financial debt relief to the Penn West trio of state-owned universities at California, Clarion and Edinboro is included in the state budget bill awaiting final enactment. “We anticipate the…
Read More Government Affairs & General UpdatesJuly 25, 2023 1. School groups call for state to move forward with plan to address school funding shortcomings as GOP leaders decline to appeal landmark court decision. The deadline for the Republican legislative leaders to appeal a landmark education funding decision to the state Supreme Court passed on Friday.…
Read More Government Affairs & General UpdatesJuly 24, 2023 1. Counties brace for impact for state budget impasse. With the prospect that the state’s budget impasse could drag on for another two months appearing increasingly likely, county leaders are bracing for the impact of having to pay their bills when the state isn’t paying its bills.…
Read More Government Affairs & General UpdatesJuly 21, 2023 1. PASSHE board approves tuition freeze for fifth consecutive year. The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education voted Thursday to freeze tuition for in-state students for the coming academic year for the fifth consecutive years. If tuition had kept pace with inflation…
Read More Government Affairs & General Updates July 20, 2023 1. Democrat quits Pa. House, leaving chamber tied at 101-101. A special election is set for September – A Democratic lawmaker from Pittsburgh resigned Wednesday from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, moving the razor-thin majority her party has held this year to a partisan tie with…
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