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PODCAST

Pennsylvania in Focus

The Center Square

The podcast bringing you the most important stories out of Pennsylvania from TheCenterSquare.com. Join us as we dive into the top headlines and provide insightful commentary and analysis.

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All Episodes

00:05:27

New School Tax Credit Plan Emerges in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/07/05

A new plan quietly introduced in the state Senate would create a refundable tax credit for educational expenses, including private school tuition. The proposal would establish the Child Learning Investment Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 per student, that families could use to reduce their tax liability. It’s scheduled for a vote in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.Support this podcast:

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00:03:35

State Budget Misses Deadline, Already

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/07/04

Three days ahead of schedule, Pennsylvania Senate leadership confirmed the state’s annual spending plan will be turned in late. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said Thursday before adjourning session that the upper chamber would not return to Harrisburg until Monday – one day after the budget is due on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. He struck an optimistic tone that negotiations had come far enough to suggest a deal would come together soon – just not before Sunday.Support this podcast:

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00:05:36

Broader Telemedicine Access Coming to Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/29

Insurance coverage for telemedicine will soon be the rule, not the exception, in Pennsylvania. A bill headed to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk requires insurers, both public and private, to cover services rendered virtually. Doing so, supporters say, means more people can access healthcare – even if they live hours from the nearest hospital, can’t drive to a doctor’s office or find child care. Senate Bill 739 makes good on a longtime commitment from state lawmakers to modernize telemedicine access after

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00:05:28

Carbon Capture, Storage Rules Moving Quickly

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/28

Regulatory framework for a carbon capture and storage network in Pennsylvania slid through a House committee on Tuesday without discussion or objection. The Senate-authored legislation would also act as a guidepost for two hydrogen hubs under development within the state in the coming decade as part of the Biden administration’s broader energy transition plan. The idea is to store future emissions to prevent their release into the atmosphere. However, the economic potential of doing so isn’t clearly

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00:05:07

Fast Action Sought in Pennsylvania on 220-Page...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/27

Pennsylvania legislators pushing a bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana warn that, without action, neighboring states will supply the drug — and carry away the tax revenue. Reps. Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne, and Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, will soon introduce their legalization bill, written to closely overlap with a Senate proposal. They want to move fast.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull

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00:05:00

Some Worry About Doing ‘Too Much’ to Make Hydrogen...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/22

Getting away from fossil fuels due to concerns about climate change has been a rallying cry for creating hydrogen hubs in Pennsylvania. But how to do it — and whether it’s possible — are open questions. “The concern with hydrogen production is it can be done the wrong way, which could serve to perpetuate fossil fuel use,” said Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Havertown, during a House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing on Monday. “Or, happily, it could be done the right way, which will make it

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00:05:59

Shapiro Sees ‘Real Power in the Dirt’ of Aliquippa

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/21

Announcing a manufacturing expansion in Beaver County, Gov. Josh Shapiro argued for his model of economic growth and made a call for compromise to pass the state budget. The governor came to Aliquippa to celebrate a $40 million investment by Versatex, a building materials supplier, to build a 97,000-square-foot facility — doubling its manufacturing capacity and creating 80 new jobs. On top of the $40 million, Versatex will receive about $3.3 million in state loans and grants. The governor has argued

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00:06:28

Pennsylvania’s Education Reform Recap

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/20

Both legislative chambers left town this week after advancing sweeping educational reforms likely to wind up – in some form – woven into the state budget due June 30. While the plans don’t necessarily clash, Senate and House leaders do. The ideological strife will boil down to the estimated return on investment.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story:

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00:06:43

Pennsylvania Charter Schools Hit Hard in Proposed...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/14

A bill altering the state’s public school funding formula passed the lower chamber Monday, spawning both fanfare and consternation among lawmakers. While supporters call the plan a victory for students held back by economic disparities, critics point out that 64 of the bill’s 87 pages focus on cutting financial support and tightening regulations for charter schools to save money. Dr. Anne Clark, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Charter Schools, scoffed at a provision that caps tuition

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00:05:53

Dozens of Black Pastors Ask Shapiro to Embrace School...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/13

More than 50 religious leaders sent an open letter on Tuesday to Gov. Josh Shapiro asking him to support school choice and educational freedom. Black Pastors United for Education, the nonprofit group, urged Shapiro to “make education a non-partisan issue, boldly dismiss the politics that prevent progress, and comprehensively fund and secure educational freedom and opportunity.” The open letter comes as Jay-Z announced his support for school vouchers in Pennsylvania and House Democrats passed a bill

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00:07:53

Zoning Restrictions Debated in Committee Hearing

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/07

When questions on land use arise in the General Assembly, Pennsylvania politicians play a game of role reversal. Republicans, generally quicker to defend the free market, stand up for local government control, while Democrats tell of the virtues of the market at work and the dangers of government heavy-handedness. So it was in the House Local Government Committee hearing on Wednesday as Democratic Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, proposed the removal of zoning restrictions and Republican Reps. Jack

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00:05:40

Legislators Lambaste Game Commission Over...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/06/06

After months of criticism, House legislators grilled leaders of the Pennsylvania Game Commission over the independent agency’s internal processes, stewardship of its assets, and whether improvement has been made since an audit revealed a litany of issues in 2019. The Game Commission has faced weeks of criticism since former Executive Director Bryan Burhans resigned after his business relationships with several Game Commission employees came to light. Steve Smith, Game Commission executive director

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00:06:43

Social Safety Net Eats up 42% of State Budget – No. 1...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/05/31

The number of Pennsylvanians receiving food stamps and Medicaid has ballooned compared to a generation ago. Some experts warn the result is a welfare system vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse — some of it “by design.” The responsibility has grown over time. In 2000, Pennsylvania had 760,000 residents getting food stamps. Now, almost 2 million receive them. Growth in Medicaid has been similar: The state spend $10.7 billion on 1.3 million residents in 2000, but now, the state spends almost $47

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00:05:03

Pennsylvania Bill Targets Artificial Intelligence...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/05/30

Artificially generated impersonations of political candidates may soon violate state law. Bills pending in both chambers of the Legislature would leave campaigns liable in civil court for unauthorized media content that negatively influences an election. Creators that disseminate deep fakes within 90 days of an election could be fined as much as $250,000 if caught impersonating presidential or congressional candidates. The penalties drop to $50,000 and $15,000 for state and local candidates,

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00:07:23

Changing Tide of Legalized Marijuana Too Fast for Some

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/05/24

Though some politicians treat recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania as an inevitability, others remain skeptical. They warn that the social costs of drug use don’t disappear – and a legalized industry brings problems of its own. Still, elected officials consider reforms even if they oppose legalization. Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Waynesboro, has been an opponent of recreational use, but has proposed a bill to change marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to a summary offense. The idea is aligning law

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00:04:57

Shapiro Family Embarks on RV Trip for Tourism Campaign

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/05/23

Pushing a dramatic funding expansion, Gov. Josh Shapiro embarked on a family RV trip on Monday to promote Pennsylvania’s new tourism brand. Speaking at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders baseball stadium in Moosic, the governor argued his $18 million proposed budget increase for tourism would help sell Pennsylvania as “The Great American Getaway.” The tourism push features a new video that highlights places across the commonwealth (with a voiceover from Pennsylvania native Abbi Jacobson, star of

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00:05:32

Spotty Health Care Access Tied to Worker Shortage

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/05/17

Health care deserts are growing larger in Pennsylvania. The problems can range from workforce shortages, consolidations and higher costs for urban and rural Pennsylvania alike. Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton, argued that a lack of health care centers means that residents face higher hospitalization rates that were otherwise preventable. Pennsylvania also struggles to provide comprehensive maternal care statewide, argued Tammy Torres, president of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hazleton.Full

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00:04:36

State May Ban Non-compete Agreements for Doctors, Nurses

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/05/16

Pennsylvania may ban non-compete agreements for health care workers, ridding the commonwealth of most restrictions on where doctors and nurses can work. The legislation passed the House in May and awaits action in the Senate. House Bill 1633, sponsored by Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Pittsburgh, would make non-competes void and unenforceable for anyone authorized to practice in health care. Full story:https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_ac72e274-1236-11ef-8933-2753c1fc86f3.html

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00:08:05

$13B Tax Cut Clears Major Legislative Hurdle

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/05/11

A plan that cuts taxes in Pennsylvania by $13 billion over the next five years cleared the state Senate on Tuesday. The proposal repeals a 2004 personal income tax raise and eliminates the gross receipts tax charge on electricity bills. It also makes a $6 million annual recurring transfer to the Alternative Fuels Incentive Fund and creates a $500 tax credit for volunteer paramedics. Republican leaders say the proposal eases inflationary pressure for wage earners, business owners and “anyone who pays

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00:06:20

What Stops Crime? Offenders ‘More Scared of Their...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2024/05/10

As Philadelphia and Pittsburgh see a drop in murders, public safety and crime remain high priorities across the state. To make communities safer, legislators want to figure out best practices for punishing crime and deploying policing. The House Judiciary Committee met on Wednesday and heard from testifiers that deterring crime comes down to the certainty of punishment, not the severity.Full story:

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