The PA Supreme Court issued an order on Jan. 22 overturning the 2011 Congressional Redistricting Act as unconstitutional. In a 5-2 ruling, the court established a timeline for Congressional district lines to be redrawn by the General Assembly. The non-prevailing party is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay, in part due to uncertainty about whether districts could be redrawn in time for the May 15 primary. Also in the news, numerous candidates have filed for 2018 election races for governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. Senate and Congress. One of Pennsylvania’s Congressional Districts, the 18th, is vacant. A special election will be held on March 13. Three more incumbents will step aside after this term. Congressman Pat Meehan from the 7th Congressional District is dealing with allegations of inappropriate behavior toward a female staffer. In Harrisburg, numerous legislative retirements have been announced, and a constitutional amendment to decrease the size of the House to 151 members has cleared a House committee hurdle. If it passes, a ballot question could go to voters as soon as Nov. 6. To discuss these topics and others are: John Finnerty, Harrisburg Bureau Chief for Community Newspaper Holdings; Sam Janesch, Staff Writer with LNP; and Paul Engelkemier, Managing Editor with PoliticsPA. Our host is Brian Lockman.
Archives for January 2018
January 24, 2018: Legislative Priorities for Counties with County Commissioners Assoc. of PA
All of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties need state funding in order to make delivery of human services possible. Every year, the County Commissioners Association of PA (CCAP) makes public a list of items they want the legislature and the governor to pay attention to. High on the list is restoring a funding cut from a few […]
Property Tax
Property taxes could be reduced or eliminated this year with multiple ideas for property tax relief floating in the PA Senate. Sen. Mario Scavello, R- Monroe County, and Rep. David Maloney, R- Berks County, talk to us about their ideas on how to reduce the burden of property taxes, especially on senior home owners.
Opioid Addiction
Gov. Tom Wolf has declared a state of emergency in PA due to the amount of overdoses and drug-related deaths. Deb Beck, President of the Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of PA, and Sen. Gene Yaw, R- Lycoming County, tell us how we can help protect our loved ones, and get addicts into treatment.
January 23, 2018: PA Welfare System with Rep. Mike Tobash
Pennsylvania’s welfare system costs about 40% of the state budget. Rep. Mike Tobash, Republican from Schuylkill and Dauphin Counties, says reducing abuse of welfare benefits is an important step to breaking a cycle of poverty. He wants to put able-bodied people to work by abolishing waivers on the work requirement part of state law.
Sexual Harassment
In October of 2017, The New York Times and The New Yorker reported that dozens of women accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse and harassment over a period of 30 years. In the wake of those reports, many similar allegations against powerful individuals have been brought to light. PA Rep. Leanne Krueger-Brankey, Democrat from Delaware […]
January 22, 2018: Civility in Politics with Jeff Coleman
Former state representative Jeff Coleman says incivility in political discourse is nothing new. From last year’s election, clear back to George Washington’s time, he says there’s been plenty of bad behavior to go around. Mr. Coleman proposes solutions in a book entitled “With All Due Respect: Recovering the Manners and Civility of Political Combat”.
PA Press Club with Paul Mango, Republican for Governor
PA Press Club with Paul Mango, Republican for Governor Watch more PA Politics and Policy on cable and the PCN Select Streaming Service.
PA Books: “Inside My Life Outdoors”
“Inside My Life Outdoors” is the story of one man’s love affair with Mother Nature. It might or might not help to make you a better hunter or angler, but it will make you laugh in some places and think quietly in others. Mostly it’s about all the things that aren’t supposed to happen out […]
Focus on Aging Adults: Community HealthChoices Program
Community HealthChoices is a state mandated program designed to help individuals navigate their Medicaid benefits and long-term health options. The program focuses on keeping seniors in their homes longer, and hopes to stream-line the distribution of services.