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‘We had to start somewhere’: Pa. officials say police misconduct database is a step toward reform
A new statewide database will let Pennsylvania police agencies check for “red flags” among prospective hires, but it’s just the beginning of efforts to weed out bad actors.
The fight over critical race theory lands in Harrisburg; House GOP bill would punish districts that teach it | Thursday Morning Coffee
Teaching our children that they are inferior or inherently bad based on immutable characteristics such as race and sex can be extremely damaging to their emotional and mental well-being,' GOP Reps. Russ Diamond and Barb Gleim say.
Biden backs reparations study, as House Dems push for commission; Pa. Rep. Rabb says he’ll reintroduce his own bill
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stopped short of saying Biden would sign the bill under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee.
Third Pa. legislator this week tests positive for COVID-19, as Capitol rethinks pandemic-era swearing-in
State Sen. John Yudichak, I-Luzerne, announced his condition in a press release Thursday morning. He added that he is currently isolating at home, experiencing “mild, cold-like symptoms.”
Pa. has a new hiring database to weed out bad cops: Will it do what it needs to do?
Police reformers won their first Harrisburg victory in decades this week, when Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill creating a confidential database of police personnel and discipline records.
General Assembly sends Wolf a bill adding protections against sexual assault in police custody
To include police officers, criminal justice reformers were forced to also back enhanced penalties for prison inmates who attack a prison guard.
Pa. House panel approves police reform bills, with full vote as soon as next week
All the proposals — four from Democrats, one from a Republican — passed unanimously through the GOP-controlled committee with little comment from lawmakers.
Here’s everything we know about police reform in Harrisburg and what may happen next
A protest by Democrats that brought the state House to a standstill over a long-stalled package of police reform bills bore fruit Tuesday.
Black Dems take over Pa. House floor; Turzai calls for special session on police reform
"They have expressed their anger. Their frustration. Certainly the issues they raise are legitimate," said House Speaker Mike Turzai said.
Watch Black House Dems call for police reform – LIVE
Black Democrats in the Pennsylvania House have seized the rostrum to call for legislative action on a package of stalled police reform bills:
Philly lawmaker wants Pa. to pay reparations to the wrongly convicted | Monday Morning Coffee
The bill is a "is a critical step toward restoring the lives of the wrongfully convicted as best we can," sponsor says.
While the state farm bill is a start, Pennsylvania’s agriculture leaders see further reforms
At a House Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, lawmakers heard more potential small fixes to aid farmers, big issues that needed some action, and hope that the PA Farm Bill was taking root.