Category: Public Policy

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Statement on PA Supreme Court Decision in Wolf v. Scarnati

  By Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties, COVID-19, PA Constitutional Law, Pennsylvania

Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. All Pennsylvanians should be gratified by PA Supreme Court’s ruling today that the General Assembly’s attempt to unilaterally end Governor Wolf’s emergency orders is unconstitutional. The Court made its decision, as it should have, on the basis of the plain words of the Constitution which states that a concurrent resolution by the two houses of the General Assembly must be presented to the Governor for his approval or veto. But, as we pointed out in our amicus curiae brief to the Court, and as recent evidence in many other states shows, the consequences of ending the governor’s orders prematurely would have been devastating to the health and economic well-being of us all. Continue reading

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The Republicans have been dead wrong about reopening

  By COVID-19, PA Budget and Policy Center, Public Policy, Published Op-Eds

Originally published by the PA Capital-Star on June 30, 2020. For months Republican leaders in Harrisburg have been demanding an early reopening of businesses in the state and have criticized the demand to wear face masks in public. And recently all Republicans and a few Democrats voted to overturn Governor Wolf’s emergency order.  Extremists like Representative Russ Diamond and Senator Doug Mastriano have been claiming, with no justification at all, that those orders conflict with our rights as Americans. The evidence is now in. The policies Republicans, along with a few Democrats, have supported were wrong. Governor Wolf’s actions have saved thousands of lives. It’s rare that we can do experiments in political and social science to test our ideas. And because we can’t do that—and because people rarely question policies that accord with their self-interest—we have debates that are more about ideology assertion than a rational discussion and weighing… Continue reading

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How Many Lives Have We Saved?

  By COVID-19, Pennsylvania

While Republican legislators have been insisting on an early reopening of businesses in Pennsylvania, we have seen one of the most dramatic declines in both COVID-19 cases and deaths of any state in the country. From a height of 1965 on April 19, the number of new cases dropped to 346 on June 21. And from a maximum of 554 deaths recorded on May 5, we had only three recorded on June 21. We have seen, and no doubt will continue to see, fluctuations in these numbers depending on vagaries in testing and reporting and how well Pennsylvanians adhere to guidelines meant to protect us as businesses reopen. But there is no doubt that the sacrifices we have made to limit the transmission of COVID-19 have had an impact. And the experience of states that have reopened businesses early and seen sharply rising numbers of people infected and deaths has… Continue reading

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Legal Brief by PA Budget and Policy Center and Keystone Research Center Supports Gov. Wolf in Stay-at-Home Order Court Case

  By Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties, COVID-19, PA Budget and Policy Center, PA Constitutional Law, Pennsylvania

Originally published by KRC-PBPC The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center and Keystone Research Center submitted an amicus curia brief in Wolf v. Scarnatti, the Supreme Court case deciding if the PA General Assembly can end Governor Wolf’s emergency orders by itself, without submitting it’s concurrent resolution doing so to the governor for his approval or veto. The PBPC-KRC brief presents important context regarding the benefits of the governor’s executive actions to date and the critical importance of maintaining them to battle the pandemic. Continue reading

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No “Buts”—Really Seeing White Supremacy in America

  By Racial Justice, US, White Supremacy and Structural Racism

Prefatory note: I start more writing projects than I can finish and usually have 20 or 30 half-finished pieces that I’m waiting to complete at the right moment. This seemed the right time to finish and post this one on racial justice. There is nothing new here at all. But it seems important for white people to be talking about these issues at this moment. My colleagues in the State Directors Racial Equity workgroup of the State Priorities Project State Directors helped me immensely with the hard thinking and personal reflection that led to this piece. Of them, I particularly want to thank James Jimenez of New Mexico, a great colleague and friend who contributed in many ways to this piece. I’ve been part of a group of directors of organizations that parallel mine who came together to better understand how racial equity should fit into our work. And those… Continue reading

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Blinders

  By Racial Justice

One of Stu Bykofsky’s charming friends said to me on Facebook last night, “Are you blind?”’ Since laugh icons come easily to his friend and reasoned arguments come hard, I’m not exactly sure what he thinks I was blind to. But I suppose he thinks I’m blind to the random looting and torching of police cars in Center City. I’m not. I don’t approve of crime of any kind. I don’t like seeing shops torn apart and businesses hurt, even if they are no doubt well insured. And I don’t think that random looting and attacks on police cars (or police officers) is a useful political tactic for those of us who care about putting an end to racist police violence. But, unlike the hysterical old bedwetter Bykofsky and his friends, I don’t think it is the end of the civilized world. And I understand the anger with continuing police… Continue reading

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Stopgap Budget Is Incomplete but Takes a Small Step Towards a Just Recovery

  By Budget, PA Budget and Policy Center, Pennsylvania Budget

Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center director Marc Stier issued the following statement in response to the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s passage of a stopgap budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 and legislation that appropriates part of Federal Cares Act funds.  “The Pennsylvania House and Senate, with the support of Governor Wolf, this week took an important step towards enacting a budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21, which starts on July 1, and also made some important decisions on how to distribute the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funds. Everyone acknowledges that the budget remains incomplete. In saying that, we mean that not only is most of the budget funded for only five months but that critical needs remain to be met as well. The pandemic has shown everyone what many of us have long known—there are deep inequities in our society. Our goal is not just… Continue reading

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New Polling Supports Aggressive Action to Address Economic Inequities in the Recovery from COVID-19

  By Pennsylvania, Progressive Politics, Public Policy

Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. New polling shows support for aggressive government action to address economic inequities in the recovery from COVID-19. A new 10-state poll carried out by Global Strategy Group of “unheard middle” voters—those who are neither strong Democrats nor strong Republicans—revealed broad support for bold state government action both to relieve the economic distress created by COVID-19 pandemic and to address the inequities revealed by it. By a huge margin, middle of the road voters believe that large “the state government still needs to do more to protect the economy and hard-working families” (91%) than “the state government doesn’t need to spend more taxpayer dollars in response to the economic impacts of the pandemic” (9%). Public policies that focus on protecting working people and small businesses are enormously popular, including “requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees” (supported by 90%); “providing low-interest loans to… Continue reading

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Statement on HB 2412: Is Real Estate Really Essential?

  By COVID-19

Originally published at KRC-PBPC here. We want to reiterate our opposition to HB 2412 even as amended, a bill to require the secretary of Community and Economic Development to issue waivers to allow real estate-related business activities to continue provided that they adhere to “applicable mitigation measures defined by the CDC…” As we have pointed out, with regard to broader legislation aimed to undermine the preventive health measures required by Governor Wolf there are few commercial activities that do not involve people traveling outside their homes, coming into relatively close contact with others, and passing physical objects, including papers, between them. This certainly includes many activities connected with the buying and selling of real estate. Thus, these activities pose a danger to public health—and whether they should continue or not should be regulated by medical and scientific analysis of how fast the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is spreading in particular… Continue reading

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A Statement on HB 1776: Property School Tax Freeze Is a Wrong Move for PA

  By Education, K-12 Education in PA

Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. Pennsylvania, like every other state in the country, faces an unprecedented budget crisis at both the state and local levels. It is so unusual that we do not really know how severe it will be. There is still great uncertainty about how far we will fall. And there is also uncertainty about how quickly we will be able to climb out of the hole in state and local revenues caused by the necessary health regulations put in place to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and our health care system. Estimates of the two-year decline in state revenues range from $3 to $7 billion. A recent analysis suggests that the decline in school districts’ revenues could range between $850 million and $1 billion for FY 21. This is a time for all of us, in government office and outside of it, to think… Continue reading