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PRESENTATION – A Necessary First Step: Governor Wolf’s Proposal to Provide Adequate & Equitable Funding in PA Schools
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Category: Politics
A Necessary First Step:Governor Wolf’s Proposal to Provide Adequate and Equitable Funding of Pennsylvania Schools
Click here to download or read the paper full screen. Continue reading
The Trouble with TABOR
UPDATED April 12: The Republican leadership of the House of Representative is poised to bring a dangerous constitutional amendment, the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), HB71 tomorrow, April 13, 2022. This amendment, which has been championed in states all over the country by the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council, would limit the growth in PA General Fund spending to the previous year’s level adjusted for the sum of (1) the average percentage change in the U.S. Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) over the preceding three calendar years plus (2) the average of the percentage change in the resident population for the preceding three calendar years. Adopting this constitutional amendment would be a terrible mistake for many reasons. General Fund spending has not been growing faster than TABOR rates. First, even if one believes that the growth in state spending should be restrained, it is unnecessary. Over… Continue reading
How to change the filibuster without really trying
Two or perhaps three Democratic Senators–Manchin and Synema and perhaps one other–are reluctant to overturn the filibuster. That reluctance could be overcome by Republican obstruction of critical policy needs–COVID-19 relief, funding for a massive vaccination campaign, help with health care and housing–that are critical to the states of these Senators. But even then, Senators who have publicly opposed filibuster reform might be concerned about changing their position publicly. So here are two steps that go part way to filibuster reform. First, we can change the rules for the reconciliation process. The reconciliation process allows Congress to move, once every session, a budget resolution under which changes in laws that affect the budget–including taxation and appropriations–without being subject to a filibuster. Critical legislation has been passed by both sides under reconciliation resolution in the last 15 years including the ACA and the Trump Tax Cut. There are, however, limitations on what… Continue reading
Deflection by Constitutional Amendment: On HB 55
Republicans this week will seek to advance a constitutional amendment that would enable the General Assembly to act by a concurrent resolution to override a governor’s emergency order after 21 days. In doing so they are doubling down on their false narrative about COVID-19 and the economic crisis it created. That crisis remains severe. New cases and hospitalizations have fallen to about half of their peak in mid-December—but they are far greater than the first wave of March and April. Meanwhile, COVID-19 deaths per day have just reached their peak. The economy of the state remains in bad shape especially for small businesses and those with low incomes. Small business revenues are down by more than 25% from January 2020 and, shockingly, by more than 40% in high-income neighborhoods, where many people with low incomes work. As a result, employment remains at 6.7% below the January 2020 level and for… Continue reading
How to know who is telling the truth about the election
Some people are having a hard time figuring out the truth about the election. If you are too busy to explore all the claims by Trump and his supporters; read all the court cases in which they have put them forward, and understand why one judge after another has rejected them both because they have presented no evidence and made astoundingly unserious legal arguments, here is a simple cheat sheet. Trump’s claims about the election are supported by very conservative federal and state legislators who are either scared of or are opportunistically seeking to win the support of Trump and his supporters. Trump’s claims about the election have been rejected by equally conservative federal and state judges who are unconcerned by the views of Trump and his supporters. That should tell you all you need to know about the truth of those claims. And also should remind you of the… Continue reading
Pa. is in the throes of a COVID-19 recession. Wolf, lawmakers need to step up for working families
Originally published at the PA Capital-Star November 17, 2020 By Marc Stier No matter where we live, what we look like, whether we are native–born or immigrants, or whether we are struggling or getting by, the COVID-19 recession is a threat to all of us. We need the state government to do more for families and small businesses to meet that threat. Yet the recession will cost the state at least $3.3 billion in revenues—and perhaps more—over two years. Squaring this circle would be difficult at any time, but the General Assembly must act by Nov. 30 when the stop-gap budget enacted in May, covering about about half of the General Fund, runs out. Democratic and Republican senators appear close to a compromise that avoids a budget impasse at this dangerous time even as it leaves many problems unresolved. Our understanding is that it would fund a full-year General Fund budget at the same level as in fiscal 2019-2020 with some adjustments… Continue reading
Why The Republicans In Harrisburg Won’t Fight COVID-19
Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. COVID-19 cases are rising again across the country and in our state. Cases in Pennsylvania are averaging 1,552 per day in October, almost double the 787 average per day in September and above the 1,364 average per day in April. And, the best evidence we have is that it is not just due to expanded testing. We are testing an average of 15,514 in October, a bit more than in September (13,847 per day) and far more than April (5,996 per day). But the percentage of tests that are positive is also increasing from 7% in September to 9% in October, though far below the 23% found in April. Deaths from COVID-19 have only risen by a small amount in Pennsylvania. But while better treatments should keep us from the disastrous numbers of April, we know that the rise in deaths typically lag the rise… Continue reading
Statement on the Death of William Wallace, Jr.
Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. The murder of Walter Wallace, Jr. is being called tragic. And it is. But when certain tragedies keep happening, they are not just tragic, let alone accidents or mistakes. They are policy. And when public policy leads over and over again to the death of Black people in circumstances where white people are more likely to be spared, the policy is deeply immoral and shameful. And ending it must be our first priority. For the sake of everyone, and especially Black and brown people, we need to rethink and re-imagine how we provide public safety in our Commonwealth. Continue reading
How the General Assembly Can Try to Steal the Election, Why It Would Be Wrong to Do So, and How to Stop It
Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. There has been loose talk among right-wing activists calling on the General Assembly to intervene in the choice of presidential electors and thus overriding the vote of the people. Here is what the PA General Assembly might try to do and why under the law and Constitutions of Pennsylvania and the United States, they should not be allowed to do it. Click here to print or read the report full-screen. Continue reading