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Trump budget would take millions away from disabled Americans, former Pa. Gov. Tom Ridge writes.
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 17, 2019
In a New York Times op-Ed, the former Pennsylvania governor called on the Trump administration to restore all the funding it’s proposed to cut for disability programs.
What are PFAS chemicals and what is Pennsylvania doing about them?
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 17, 2019
Here’s a look at what PFAS chemicals are, and what Pennsylvania is doing to eradicate them from water and soil.
Pa.’s Board of Pardons sees spike in applications after eliminating fees
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 15, 2019
In the four weeks since Pennsylvania announced it would be free to apply for pardons, the number of ex-offenders asking the state to forgive their crimes has nearly doubled, data from the lieutenant governor’s office shows. The Board of Pardons, which makes recommendations to the governor to grant pardons and clemency or commute sentences, has […]
How the Pa. General Assembly is trying to expand rights for crime victims
By: Stephen Caruso and Elizabeth Hardison - April 14, 2019
The House and Senate have approved a dozen victim-centered bills over the last past week, including a few identical versions of the same bill passed by both chambers.
Advisory committee approves controversial emissions regulation offered by Wolf administration
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 12, 2019
A state advisory committee voted Thursday to advance a new regulation on Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry proposed by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration, despite concerns among environmental groups that it does not do enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Andrew Williams, who testified on the proposal on behalf of the Environmental Defense Fund, confirmed the vote […]
A former governor supports a bill to aid Pa.’s nuclear industry, but a Senate committee isn’t so sure
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 10, 2019
Now that it’s been 15 years since he championed Pennsylvania’s clean energy law, Gov. Ed Rendell wishes he could go back in time and change a few things.
Senate Democrats want to give older clergy abuse victims the chance to sue — without changing the Constitution
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 10, 2019
From Jerry Sandusky and Bill Cosby to clergy in the Catholic church, Pennsylvania is “ground zero” in a nationwide reckoning over how to support victims of sexual abuse.
‘We have to give it a shot’: Redistricting bill passes Senate committee, as reformers call for more work
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 10, 2019
A bill that would change the way Pennsylvania draws its political maps got the support of a Senate committee Tuesday, even though lawmakers and activists alike still think it needs some work.
Nurses and moms ask lawmakers to boost funding for at-home care programs
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 9, 2019
This article has been updated to include the name of the Childhood Begins at Home Coalition, and to remove a reference to UPMC Pinnacle, which employs community health nurses who participate in the Nurse-Family Partnership program, but does enroll clients. Not long after Gov. Tom Wolf unveils his first draft of Pennsylvania’s budget in February, […]
Pa. governor candidates would get to pick their running mates under revived Senate bill
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 8, 2019
A bill that would end the arranged marriage between the top of the ticket and his second in command advanced through a Senate committee Monday.
‘Red flag’ bill would reduce firearm suicides in Pa., Wolf, gun-control advocates argue at Capitol rally
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 8, 2019
“This is our top legislative priority,” said Marybeth Christansen, Pennsylvania leader of Moms Demand Action, a national gun control organization.
At annual gathering, Pa. conservatives take a victory lap on Trump’s judicial nominees
By: Elizabeth Hardison - April 7, 2019
More than 100 conservative activists gathered a hotel in suburban Harrisburg for the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference.