Pennsylvania Archives - Tennessee Star

Pennsylvania Representatives Drafting Measure to Enhance Railroad Safety Rules

March 24, 2023March 23, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Two Pennsylvania state lawmakers representing areas affected by the February train derailment less than a mile beyond the Ohio border are drafting legislation to enhance railroad-safety rules.

The emerging bill by Representatives Jim Marshall (R-Beaver Falls) and Rob Matzie (D-Ambridge) would tighten maintenance and oversight standards for wayside hotbox detectors, limit the length of trains, set a minimum number of train staff, toughen supervision of railroad-safety compliance and facilitate reporting of violations. The legislators also say their measure will create a mechanism for better communication regarding the transportation of toxic substances.

Mastriano Proposes Bill for Pennsylvania School Curriculum Transparency

March 24, 2023March 23, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) this week announced he is introducing legislation requiring public K-12 schools to post their curricula online.

Should the policy become law, school districts and charter institutions must provide public web access to syllabi for all classes and thorough lists of the textbooks planned for use in those courses as well as commonwealth academic standards for all course offerings. Should a school make any curricular revisions, it would have 30 days to publish them.

Pennsylvania Government Union Political Spending Skyrockets Even as Membership Declines

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Even as Pennsylvania’s public-sector unions suffer net losses of members and dues, these groups continue to ramp up political donations, according to a new analysis by the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth Foundation (CF).

According to the free-market nonprofit, spending from Keystone State government unions like the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 13 totaled $6.34 million in the 2011-12 campaign cycle. That amount steadily rose over all gubernatorial and presidential cycles and reached a record $20.2 million in 2021-22.

Public School Workers Say ‘Dignified’ Retirement Now Out of Reach in Pennsylvania

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 The Center Square

Pennsylvania educators say the “dignified” retirement promised to them decades ago no longer exists thanks to record inflation and benefits “frozen” in time for the last 20 years.

Thomas Curry, a former art teacher who worked for the Punxsutawney Area School District for 40 years, said he’s watched his pension benefits cover less and less since he retired in 1999. He no longer buys Girl Scout cookies or supports charitable organizations in the neighborhood and his family clips coupons to afford groceries.

Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro Would Deplete Rainy Day Fund While State Expert Suggests It Should Be Larger

March 22, 2023March 21, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania’s official fiscal watchdog this week told state senators that the commonwealth’s Rainy Day Fund contains less money than many experts recommend — and that’s before Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s long-term fiscal plan burns through it.

The state Treasury currently keeps $5.7 billion in the Rainy Day Fund to help public institutions endure revenue losses resulting from economic downturns. According the the department’s own calculations, current reserves in this account could sustain General Fund expenditures for just under 43 days.

Politically Diverse Groups Back Free Speech at Pitt After Pennsylvania Lawmakers Urge Event Cancellation

March 22, 2023March 21, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

After two Pennsylvania lawmakers last week called for cancelling upcoming conservative appearances at the University of Pittsburgh, a politically diverse array of voices are responding in favor of free speech.

Representatives Jessica Benham (D-Carrick) and Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia), who co-chair the state House LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, denounced the state-related university for permitting the presence of speakers who oppose liberal views of transgenderism. The guests they find objectionable include Cabot Phillips, senior editor of the The Daily Wire news organization, who is scheduled to speak this Friday; Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer and critic of biological males competing in women’s sports, who will appear on March 27; and Michael Knowles, a Daily Wire commentator, who will debate transgender economist Deirdre McCloskey on April 18. All speakers are being sponsored by student-led associations.

Norfolk Southern CEO Tells Pennsylvania Senate Panel State Authorities Were ‘Aligned’ on Vent-and-Burn

March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Norfolk Southern Corp. Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw told Pennsylvania lawmakers on Monday that the response to February’s Ohio train derailment “worked” and that state officials thoroughly backed it.

Shaw’s appearance before the state Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee came about as a result of a subpoena earlier this month after the rail-company executive initially declined to speak to the panel. Senators also subpoenaed the corporation’s internal communications related to the wreck, some of which committee Chair Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) said have been turned over and others of which he says he still awaits.

Business Conservatives and High Ranking Pennsylvania Democrat Ally on ‘Clean Slate’ Legislation

March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania state Representatives Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) and Sheryl Delozier (R-Camp Hill) on Friday reintroduced “clean slate” legislation to subject low-level drug felonies to automatic record sealing.

The new bill boasts not only a bipartisan roster of legislative backers but also a philosophically broad range of supportive organizations including the pro-free-market Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry, the Faith and Freedom Coalition, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, the Justice Action Network, Right on Crime and Community Legal Services of Philadelphia.

Commentary: Governor Shapiro’s First Budget Falls Short

March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 RealClearWire

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first state budget proposal perpetuates unsustainable spending and fails to address the most promising ideas he put forward during his campaign. For starters, his budget calls for $45.9 billion in ongoing General Fund spending – but the state has only $43 billion in net revenues, so the governor is positioning us for a nearly $3 billion annual deficit.

Spending that exceeds revenue is unsustainable and fiscally irresponsible for individuals, businesses, and certainly for government.

Conservative Duo Vies for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Commission

March 20, 2023March 19, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

As recently as the mid-2000s, row offices were unwinnable for Democrats in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania — a GOP stronghold for over a century. By 2011, the Democrats would take over the Board of Commissioners. They now enjoy a three-to-two voter-registration advantage.

But now some Republicans sense voters are wearying of what the Democrats have overseen during their dozen-year ascendancy, including a “bail reform” measure that has unsettled local police. The commissioners also frequently increase property taxes, most recently by eight percent in 2022.

Support Remains as Pennsylvania Closes Train Derailment Health Center

March 20, 2023March 19, 2023 The Center Square

As the Pennsylvania Department of Health winds down its health center near the East Palestine train derailment, officials continue to collect health data and vow to establish telehealth options.

The Health Resource Center, opened February 28 at the Darlington Township Building near the Ohio border, served more than 550 residents until officials wound down operations March 16. Officials from the Departments of Health, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture staffed the center along with doctors and local pastors.

Proposed $15 Million Pennsylvania Tax Credit Targets Career and Technical Programs

March 19, 2023March 18, 2023 The Center Square

A new tax credit could send millions to career and technical education in Pennsylvania to cover program costs – if the General Assembly approves it.

The proposal, House Bill 52, would establish the Career and Technical Education Investment Incentive Program, a $15 million tax credit available to businesses that donate to CTE scholarships or purchase equipment for these programs.

Pennsylvania Senate Holds Hearing About Challenges Persisting Veteran Suicide Prevention

March 18, 2023March 17, 2023 The Center Square

Members of the Pennsylvania Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee met in Chambersburg Thursday, just as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued orders at the national level to increase access to mental health care in the military.

Committee Chairman Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Chambersburg, opened the meeting by optimistically noting the downward trend of suicides in recent years following a series of state initiatives meant to address mental health amongst veterans. But, he said, there’s much more work to be done.

Pennsylvania Democrat Proposes Waiting Periods for Acquiring Guns

March 17, 2023March 16, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

A Pennsylvania state senator this week announced she is reintroducing legislation to force gun buyers to undergo three-day waiting periods before they take possession of their firearms.

Senator Amanda Cappelletti (D-Norristown) wrote in a memorandum describing her bill that she believes the measure could reduce both violent crime and suicides. She stated that more than 60 percent of gun deaths are intentionally self-inflicted and said research has shown that many suicide survivors thought about taking the actions they did for less than a 24-hour period.

Three Pennsylvania Airports Receive $39 Million for Upgrades

March 17, 2023March 16, 2023 The Center Square

Three Pennsylvania airports will receive a combined $39 million in federal funding for a variety of upgrades as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh International Airports are three of 99 locations across the country each receiving a share of $1 billion in 2023. In 2022, 85 airports last year – including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Lehigh Valley International Airports – received a combined total of $49 million.

Pennsylvania Democrats Base Their Pay Equity Bill on Dubious Data

March 16, 2023March 15, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

With Equal Pay Day occurring this Tuesday, Pennsylvania Democrats renewed a push to strengthen state and federal pay equity laws, citing workplace discrimination statistics that scholars often find questionable.

State Senators Maria Collett (D-North Wales) and Steve Santarsiero (D-Doylestown) proposed a bill that would apply the commonwealth’s Equal Pay Law to a broader universe of workers and a greater scope of fringe benefits. The measure introduced unsuccessfully last session, would also bolster employees’ rights to inquire about the wages a company pays and permit workers to collect back wages from employers who courts find in breach of the law. The senators said these changes are necessary because women in Pennsylvania earn 79 cents for every dollar men receive, a disparity of over $10,000 per year.

Pennsylvania House Appropriations Republican: Projected Shapiro Deficits Too Large

March 16, 2023March 15, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Unlike his fellow Democrat and predecessor Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro hasn’t asked for tax increases as part of his first budget request. But the ranking Republican on the state House Appropriations Committee said on Wednesday that tax hikes likely await Pennsylvanians in a few years if lawmakers don’t pare back Shapiro’s spending proposal.

“We are facing massive structural deficits,” Representative Seth Grove (R-York) told reporters at the GOP Appropriations Committee Office in Harrisburg. “It’s something that is on our minds here in the General Assembly.”

Pennsylvania Emergency Director Says Rail Companies Have ‘Broad Latitude’ to Handle Derailments

March 15, 2023March 14, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Alongside fellow lawmakers at the Darlington Fire Company on Tuesday, Pennsylvania state Representative Eric Nelson (R-Greensburg) asked Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Acting Director Randy Padfield who has final say over what to do with a wrecked train carrying toxic chemicals: the rail company or state government?

At the hearing of the Pennsylvania House Bipartisan Policy Committee, Nelson said he wanted to know whether Pennsylvania emergency and environmental officials could decide whether to approve or quash plans to incinerate a certain number of rail cars on such a train if it crashed in the Keystone State.

Pennsylvania Readies to Send Out $62 Million for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

March 15, 2023March 14, 2023 The Center Square

As Pennsylvania officials discuss an electric vehicle fee to replace the gas tax, federal funds are available to build out the EV charging infrastructure in the commonwealth.

On Monday, PennDOT announced its first round of funding will open on March 27 and close May 5 for EV stations across Pennsylvania. The money will flow through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant program, with $25 million available for fiscal year 2022 and $37 million for fiscal year 2023, according to a news release.

Trump, Mastriano Well Ahead of Respective Potential Rivals in Pennsylvania

March 15, 2023March 14, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

In the first public poll on Pennsylvania’s 2024 Republican Senate primary, State Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) has an 18-point lead against Dave McCormick.

The same survey shows former President Donald Trump besting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by the same margin in the state’s GOP presidential contest. While only Trump has officially declared his candidacy, a robust movement for a DeSantis bid has long been afoot while both Mastriano and McCormick have strongly suggested they are considering a Senate run.

Gov. Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Budget Proposal Rewards Union Donors

March 14, 2023March 13, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Unions donated copiously to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) during last year’s gubernatorial campaign and they’ll reap a handsome reward if the legislature approves a particular item in Shapiro’s proposed budget.

The Fiscal Year 2023-24 spending plan includes a $1,274,000 initiative to increase by one-third the number of labor law compliance investigators at the commonwealth’s Department of Labor and Industry. The text of Shapiro’s proposal expresses concern that more labor cases need to be probed and that businesses need more education on workers’ right to organize.

Shapiro Says Pennsylvania Republican Lawmakers ‘Are Praising’ His Budget Proposal While Omitting Criticisms

March 14, 2023March 13, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) is already claiming high-ranking Republicans “are praising” his first budget. Those Republicans’ actual remarks tell a different story.

A press release from the governor selectively quotes eight GOP state lawmakers’ reactions to the budget he unveiled last week. While the snippets accurately capture areas of agreement, they leave out decidedly negative sentiments the Republicans voiced about the $45.9 billion plan which would hike state spending by about four percent over the current level.

Mastriano Bill for Train-Wreck Emergency Grants Passes Pennsylvania Senate Committee

March 13, 2023March 12, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Legislation to aid Pennsylvanians affected by the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and chemical incineration passed a state Senate panel unanimously last week.

Senator Doug Mastriano (R-PA-Chambersburg) authored the bill and chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee which approved it. His measure would establish the Train Derailment Emergency Grant Program to cover impacted individuals’ medical bills, income losses, small-business expenses, property-value depletions, decontamination costs and relocation expenses. The policy now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

Pennsylvania Public Defenders Hopeful as Momentum for Funding Increases Grow

March 13, 2023March 12, 2023 The Center Square

The governor’s proposed budget may provide a boost to a bill working its way through the Senate that would fund public defender offices and bring the state into compliance with constitutional mandates.

The current version of Senate Bill 371 – sponsored by Sens. Lisa Baker, R-Dallas, and Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia – would establish an Indigent Defense Advisory Committee to determine county standards and a grant program to fund services. Both would fall under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Bill Would Ban Bias Response Teams from Pennsylvania Public Colleges

March 12, 2023March 11, 2023 The Center Square

College campuses in recent years have created “bias response teams” to respond to student concerns over bias or controversial speech, with hundreds of them established nationwide.

However, free speech advocates have challenged the legitimacy of the teams, fearing that they can chill or limit constitutionally protected speech.

Proposed Electric Vehicle Fee Falls Short of Solving Pennsylvania’s Infrastructure Woes

March 11, 2023March 10, 2023 The Center Square

As electric vehicles overtake Pennsylvania’s roads, lawmakers still have to sort out two things – how to tax them to fund roads and bridges, and how to build out reliable charging stations.

While neither issue has a quick and easy solution, a pilot tax project will grow revenue, and federal cash will expand an electric charging corridor across the state.

Pennsylvania House Republicans Unhappy Special Election to Replace Accused Harasser Zabel Is Delayed

March 10, 2023March 9, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Some Pennsylvania state House Republicans are unhappy with the timetable their legislative rivals have set forth to replace Representative Mike Zabel (D-Drexel Hill) who is resigning in light of sexual harassment allegations.

Representative Craig Williams (R-Chadds Ford) tweeted his reaction to these events, excoriating the Democrats for asserting they have majority control of the House of Representatives, even though their number would tie that of Republicans at 101. He furthermore blasted them for failing to schedule a special election for the May 16 primary, something that could happen if Zabel made his resignation effective before March 16. A special election will instead take place this fall.

Norfolk Southern CEO Pledges Pennsylvania Visit

March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 The Center Square

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw did not appear in front of Pennsylvania lawmakers on Wednesday, but is expected to do so later this month and provide documents that track the rail company’s response to the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee announced Shaw will testify March 20 and advanced resolutions to recognize the impact of the derailment on Pennsylvania communities along with an emergency grant program to provide financial relief to affected residents.

Norfolk Southern Faces New Pennsylvania Lawsuit over Ohio Derailment

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

The Pittsburgh-based law firm Lynch Carpenter and the Philadelphia-based firm Seeger Weiss this week announced new class-action litigation against the Norfolk Southern rail company for the aftereffects of the February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

After the accident, Norfolk Southern personnel ordered the venting and burning of five of the train’s cars containing toxic vinyl chloride. The release-and-burn strategy has since drawn widespread denunciation after citizens and public officials pointed out apparent deleterious health and environmental consequences. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) initially supported the “controlled burn” but later reversed himself, claiming he was not informed that the rail corporation would incinerate five cars instead of one.

Shapiro’s Planned Spending Increase Alarms Pennsylvania Budget Hawks

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro asked the state General Assembly members on Tuesday to support his requested $45.9 billion budget, which would increase spending by approximately 4 percent over current outlays.

The governor insisted he based his plan for Fiscal Year 2023-24 on “conservative” revenue estimates. And he did include some provisions appealing to anti-taxers and free-marketers including nixing the state cell-phone tax, a move he estimates would save Pennsylvanians $124 million annually.

Reintroduced Bill Would Have Taxpayers Pay to Help Transgender Pennsylvanians Change Their Names

March 7, 2023March 6, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Several leftist members of the Pennsylvania state Senate announced on Monday they are reintroducing a series of bills to help transgender residents change their names — including one measure that would force taxpayers to assist those who are going through the process.

Senators Tim Kearney (D-Springfield), Amanda Cappelletti (D-Norristown), Katie Muth (D-Royersford) and Lindsey Williams (D-Pittsburgh) complained that transgender constituents often tell them the process of changing their names is onerous. State Representatives Ben Sanchez (D-Abington) and Melissa Shusterman (D-Phoenixville) have reintroduced a House version of the legislation which would allot $2 million to a “Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Fund.”

Gov Shapiro, Norfolk Southern Broker $7.4 Million Aid Deal

March 7, 2023March 6, 2023 The Center Square

Norfolk Southern agreed this week to reimburse first responders, county relief funds and state agencies nearly $7.4 million in the wake of the February 3 train derailment near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday he secured a deal with Alan Shaw, the railroad’s chief executive officer, to cover all of the costs the state incurred responding to the accident, as well as establishing a $1 million community relief fund in Beaver and Lawrence counties for impacted residents and businesses.

Pro-Abortion State Representative Wants to Defund Pennsylvania Crisis Pregnancy Centers

March 6, 2023March 5, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

A Pennsylvania state representative announced this weekend she plans to sponsor a bill to end state subsidization of pregnancy-resource centers, accusing these organizations of improperly trying to dissuade women and “birthing people” from getting abortions.

“Crisis pregnancy centers are organizations that purport to provide medical services to pregnant women and birthing people but instead engage in deceptive practices to prevent them from having abortions,” Representative Melissa Shusterman (D-Paoli) wrote in a memorandum encouraging colleagues to cosponsor her measure. “The damage these organizations inflict upon people cannot be understated [and] amounts to a public health emergency.”

Pennsylvania Nursing Home Wait List Tops 2,000

March 5, 2023March 4, 2023 The Center Square

A new report finds staffing shortages force nursing homes to turn away patients, leaving beds empty and transferring the costs of medical care onto a strapped EMS system.

The numbers from the Pennsylvania Health Care Association’s analysis are stark. Of 69 nursing facilities surveyed, 52% said “they are limiting admissions in some way because they do not have enough staff to care for more residents.” Over a three-month period, facilities averaged 17 admission denials because of staff limitations.

Proposal Targets Math Deficits for K-5 Pennsylvania Students

March 4, 2023March 3, 2023 The Center Square

Less than half of elementary school students in Pennsylvania score proficient in mathematics, according to the state Department of Education.

But, a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate would offer schools a tool with purported success rates for improving those skills.

Pennsylvania House Republicans, Union Want Zabel to Resign over Harassment Allegations

March 3, 2023March 2, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania House Republicans and a union representing many social-service workers are calling on state Representative Mike Zabel (D-Drexel Hill) to resign over allegations he sexually harassed one of that union’s lobbyists.

Andi Perez, the political director of the Pennsylvania and Delaware Division of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), is accusing Zabel of inappropriately touching her and not immediately relenting after she backed away from him.

Joanna McClinton Replaces Mark Rozzi as Pennsylvania House Speaker After He Steps Down

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania State Representative Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) on Tuesday was sworn in as State House Speaker, replacing State Representative Mark Rozzi (D-Temple) in that role shortly after he stepped down from it.
Rozzi’s two months at the helm of the House of Representatives have been fraught with contention. Immediate past speaker and House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Quarryville), who corralled support within his caucus for Rozzi when his party enjoyed a momentary slim majority, recalled that the Berks County Democrat promised to drop his Democratic affiliation. Rozzi never did so and clashed with the House GOP on procedural and organizational issues.

Pennsylvania Republicans Demand Fetterman Either Appear on Camera or Else Resign

March 1, 2023February 28, 2023 Just the News

A group of Pennsylvania Republicans are demanding that Democratic Sen. John Fetterman either appear on camera and demonstrate he is still capable of doing his job or, failing that, that he resign from his federal office.

Fetterman has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks due to reported clinical depression; little is known about his status as an inpatient at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, though his staff said on Monday that he is “on a path to recovery.”

Pennsylvania Republican House Leaders Discuss Speaker’s Stalling Reconvening of Session, Failure to Investigate Harassment

February 28, 2023February 27, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania state House Republicans on Monday excoriated their Democratic counterparts for failing to reconvene and failing to start investigating sexual-harassment allegations against a Democratic House member.

Republicans have blasted Speaker Mark Rozzi (D-Temple) for dragging out the process of finalizing operating rules and bringing the House of Representatives back into session. The speaker, whose party holds a majority of seats, initially said he would only agree to allow legislation to be considered once the House voted on a measure allowing adults victims of sexual abuse to sue their alleged predators despite the statute of limitations. The House passed such legislation last week.

Online Posting of Pennsylvania Legislators’ Expenses Proposed

February 27, 2023February 26, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Senator Lindsey Wiliams (D-Pittsburgh) is preparing to reintroduce a bill to instruct the state’s chief legislative clerks to post all lawmakers’ taxpayer-funded expenses online.

In a memorandum asking fellow senators to cosponsor her measure, Williams mentioned that she and some other legislators provide online access to may of their public expenditures. Her own website contains a page linking to monthly expense reports. Spending listed includes such items as lodging and office event expenses.

Democrats Received 99.7 Percent of UPenn Faculty Donations from 2021-22

February 26, 2023February 25, 2023 Admin

An analysis found that Democrats received 99.7% of political donations from University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) faculty members during the 2021-2022 year.

UPenn reflects the norm in higher education as faculty members at other universities send the vast majority of political donations to Democrats.

Penn Medicine’s Resident Physicians Move to Unionize

February 25, 2023February 24, 2023 The Center Square

Hundreds of medical residents at the University of Pennsylvania Health System may become the first group of its kind in the state to unionize as their demands for higher pay and better working conditions have gone ignored.

Unionization efforts sparked nationwide after the pandemic pushed long working hours from routine to unsustainable. As such, the residents at Penn Medicine’s main campus in West Philadelphia decided to add their name to the growing list of those seeking representation.

Pennsylvania Residents Speak to State Senate About Ill Effects of Train Burn

February 23, 2023February 23, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Western Pennsylvanians who live near the site of the February 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment and subsequent burn went before a state Senate Committee Thursday to state that the event is clearly causing deleterious health consequences.

The 53-car train derailed in the village of East Palestine, Ohio, less than a mile from where the Buckeye State abuts Beaver County in Pennsylvania. In the crash’s aftermath, the train company proceeded to burn five of the rail cars containing vinyl chloride, a course of action company officials said would avert a potentially disastrous explosion. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) initially supported what has been called the “controlled burn” but has subsequently blasted Norfolk Southern for its handling of the incident, particularly its decision to burn five cars; Shapiro asserted he was only told one car would be incinerated.

Pennsylvania House Republicans Want to Focus on Regulatory Reform

February 23, 2023February 22, 2023 The Center Square

House Republicans want to prioritize the reform of regulatory issues in Pennsylvania, from concerns about taxes and health care to housing and infrastructure.

A Tuesday hearing for the House Republican Policy Committee for “common sense state regulatory reform” highlighted the challenges Pennsylvania faces.

Pennsylvania Mulls Green ‘Deathcare’

February 22, 2023February 21, 2023 The Center Square

Pennsylvania may soon follow other states and adopt regulations for eco-friendly burial and cremation methods.

Republican senators recently introduced a bill to make water-based cremation legal. Meanwhile, Democratic representatives announced their intention to do the same, while adding a provision for natural organic reduction – also known as human composting.

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro: Norfolk Southern Conducted Controlled Burn of Vinyl Chloride After Withholding Vital Information

February 21, 2023February 20, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) is distancing himself further from Norfolk Southern Corp. on decision-making following the February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, one quarter-mile west of Beaver County in Pennsylvania.

The governor last week sent a letter to Norfolk Southern President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw last Tuesday underscoring the concerns of many residents and officials from affected areas after a controlled vent and burn of toxic chemicals the train was carrying. Shapiro followed up that letter with an announcement that Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection would conduct water testing in the region, independent of monitoring by the federal government, to determine if environmental safety has worsened.

Special Session Revived in the Pennsylvania State House

February 21, 2023February 20, 2023 The Center Square

Pennsylvania’s stalled special session gets a second chance on Tuesday when House lawmakers return to the chamber floor after a month-long break.

In an email sent Friday afternoon, House leadership canceled three regular session days scheduled for Monday through Wednesday and substituted four special session days in their place, lasting Tuesday through Friday.

Gov. Shapiro Emboldens Pennsylvania Death Penalty Abolitionists

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s recent declaration that he will sign no death warrants is emboldening lawmakers who want to abolish executions in the Keystone State.

To that end, state Representative Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) is circulating a memorandum asking colleagues to cosponsor a measure he plans to offer ending the state’s death penalty.

Pennsylvania State University Student Government Sets Aside Thousands of Dollars to Fund Transgender Name Changes

February 18, 2023February 17, 2023 Admin

Pennsylvania State University (PSU) student leaders voted on Wednesday to set aside $3,000 for transgender students to legally change their names, the student newspaper Daily Collegian reported.

The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) unanimously agreed to cover the costs for students who want to change their legal name through the university’s Student Legal Service department, the Collegian reported. Students can receive a voucher to cover the costs associated with the service which can reportedly amount between $150 and $200 when a name is changed for reasons other than divorce.

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro Was for the Controlled Burn of the Derailed Train Before He Was Against It

February 16, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s opposition to Norfolk Southern Corp.’s handling of its East Palestine, Ohio train derailment contrasts strongly with his initial satisfaction with the controlled vent and burn of the rail vehicle’s toxic cargo.

The 53-car train with some cars carrying vinyl chloride derailed on February 3 in the village of about 5,000 residents one-quarter mile west of Beaver County in Pennsylvania. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the train went off the rail as a result of a defective axle.