The PA Senate has passed Senate Bill 1293 in a 30 to 17 vote, that keeps men from participating in female sports in public schools and institutions of higher learning. Male and female is determined biologically at the time of birth. Senate Bill 9 was similar and passed in 2025 with bipartisan support, but house […]
PA House Votes to Give Striking Workers Unemployment Benefits
What is going on in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives? In a 106-97 vote, House Bill 1481 would provide unemployment compensation to striking workers. What that means is you and I will pay the employees who have chosen to stand on a picket line instead of doing their job. If the employees at any business […]
PA House Votes to Lower Fitness Standards for Police Recruits
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted on November 14th to pass a bill lowering the minimum fitness standards for police recruits. How much lower are the new requirements? Current standards require recruits to perform at least to the 30th percentile level on the Cooper Standards test to enroll in a police officer training program and […]
PA State Representative Jake Banta to Hold Open House in North East
Representative Jake Banta has announced an open house on March 9th at his new office at 8 South Lake Street in North East from 4PM to 7PM. This is a great opportunity to meet our new representative. Details below: These informal gatherings are an excellent opportunity for the people of the 4th District to get […]
Do You Know What Your Local Legislators Are Doing in Harrisburg?
Who are your local legislators in Harrisburg? What are they doing? You’ve probably heard their names, even if you don’t know who they are, but it’s likely their daily activities are a bit of a mystery. I thought we might shine some light on the legislation they’re working on right now so you can decide […]
Governor Wolf Allows Emergency School Funding and Essential Services
Governor Tom Wolf began a Tuesday press conference by calling the budget presented to him before Christmas “garbage,” while calling for spending increases as outlined in the $30.8 billion budget he prefers. He is allowing emergency funds to go out to schools and state agencies to keep them from closing. He called on the legislature […]
PA Budget Fight Raising State Borrowing Costs
The six month budget impasse is already costing residents of Pennsylvania because investors are demanding higher rates of return on PA debt that reflects the higher risk of those investments. The higher interest rate PA must pay for borrowing dollars means the state is spending more dollars without getting any more services in return. A […]
PA Senate Passes Budget to End Deadlock so Schools Can Stay Open
The PA Senate passed a $30.3 billion budget and sent it on to the Governor who has 10 days to sign it. No tax increase is required and if signed, state funding for schools and other services will become available. Republicans are generally in favor, Democrats generally less so, unfortunately, neither this $30.3 billion version […]
Ghost Voting in PA Legislature to Get Budget Deal
If you’re not following the day to day budget negotiations going on in Harrisburg, you might imagine there’s an orderly process of serious lawmakers discussing the intricacies of state finances, trying to do what’s right for you and me. Well, not a chance, not even close. Ghostly votes Yesterday, when a procedural vote was taken […]
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf Rated Most Liberal in the USA
Here’s an interesting study of state governors worth looking over as the budget crisis in Harrisburg drags on, Governor Tom Wolf was ranked, along with every other governor in the USA on an ideological scale of liberal to conservative based on a wide range of data points, and our governor ranks as the most liberal […]