Archive
House Passes Amendments to Reform Bills, Delays Vote
Bills sent to Appropriations Committee for fiscal notes
The state House did not pass a package of reform bills Monday, instead sending the bills back to the House Appropriations Committee for fiscal notes.
The bills will be sent back to… Read the rest
UPDATED: Republicans Hold Off On Punitive Rule Changes, For Now
Majority Leader Turzai: Don’t make state House a “circus atmosphere”
House Republicans passed on taking a vote on new rules Monday, which would have stripped Democrats of significant legislative power.
The new rules contained in H.R. 6 would remove one… Read the rest
On The Record: State Sen. John Eichelberger
The blogging senator talks state government reform and local government spending
Factfile: State Sen. John Eichelberger
Affiliation: Republican
District: 30 (All of Bedford, Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon counties. Part of Mifflin County.)
First elected: 2006 (currently
Prison Population, Corrections Spending Swell with Drug Offenders
Auditor General recommends expanding existing alternative sentencing measures
Tougher sentencing guidelines, particularly for drug-related offenses, have helped to increase Pennsylvania’s prison population by five times over the past 30 years, but Auditor General Jack Wagner said $50 million a year… Read the rest
Replacing Foxwoods’ License Could Take Years
Investors could take state to court
The recent revocation of the state gambling license issued to Foxwoods Casino for a Philadelphia operation does not mean a new license will be available in the near future.
In fact, it could be… Read the rest
Pennsylvania Independent Announces New Affiliation With The Franklin Center For Government And Public Integrity
New website coming soon
The Pennsylvania Independent announced Thursday its transition from the Commonwealth Foundation and its new relationship with the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a national nonprofit journalism organization.
As part of the Franklin Center, PA… Read the rest
House Dems Angry About GOP’s New Rules
Republicans remove some Democrat committee seats
House Democrats were up in arms Wednesday over a series of moves by the Republican-controlled House Rules Committee.
Democrats claimed the GOP members made a “tyrannical move” by trying to “muzzle” debate over proposed… Read the rest
Senate Debates Local Impact Of Gas Drilling
New taxes or fees discussed
Industry representatives and local government leaders debated Wednesday how to best mitigate the local impact of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania.
Representatives of local and county governments said gas drilling created higher costs in infrastructure,… Read the rest
New Barnes Foundation on the Parkway Stumbles on Sustainability
Importing limestone from Israel, hoping for platinum LEED status
Construction for the new Barnes Foundation on the Parkway in Philadelphia is underway, with $100 million allocated the new building’s completion as part of the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Projects (RACAP)… Read the rest
Gov. Corbett Announces Reform Priorities, Support for Biennial Budget
UPDATED: Response from Senate Republicans
Gov. Tom Corbett unveiled his reform priorities in a news release Tuesday, singling out Senate and House legislation to amend the constitution with a biennial budget process.
“I am committed to provide an open, transparent,… Read the rest