The PLS Reporter

10/15/2021

06/24/2021

An announcement from Pennsylvania Legislative Services President Deborah E. Hannon and state government reporter Sam Zern:

04/23/2021

On May 18, Pennsylvanians will vote on whether or not to overhaul gubernatorial emergency powers during a disaster. Ahead of that vote, state officials are warning that prematurely ending disaster declarations could have deep financial and resource ramifications.

Read for free: https://plsreporter.com/with-may-primary-looming-state-officials-warn-against-ending-disaster-declaration-early/

04/23/2021

After a mistake at the Department of State reset the process on a constitutional amendment that would give survivors of childhood sexual abuse the chance to seek justice, lawmakers began pursuing a different, statutory avenue to achieve the same goal.

Read for free: https://plsreporter.com/in-reversal-senate-committee-advances-statutory-window-for-abuse-survivors/

04/16/2021

FREE: Education funding is top of mind in Pennsylvania, with a new proposal to allocate $100 million to the most underfunded school districts https://plsreporter.com/schlossberg-advocates-call-for-100-million-to-100-most-underfunded-schools/

04/14/2021

ICYMI: Justin and Sam return to talk about a GOP bill that would ban transgender girls from competing on women's school sports teams, as well as what a series of hearings on abortion means for the broader abortion debate in Harrisburg.

Listen to full episodes at right2know.podbean.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus, you can watch full episodes at The PLS Reporter on YouTube.

04/06/2021

Justin and Sam return to the podcast to discuss the state's new expanded and expedited vaccine rollout, as well as a historic education funding lawsuit that is headed to trial this fall.

Listen to full episodes at right2know.podbean.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus, you can watch full episodes at The PLS Reporter on YouTube.

04/06/2021

On Monday, a group of Republican lawmakers introduced what they are calling the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act," which would prevent transgender girls from playing on women's sports teams at school. The legislation, which Gov. Tom Wolf has already stated he will veto if it makes it to his desk, comes as part of a nationwide push from Republicans to limit transgender kids' access to sports and healthcare.

Read for free: https://plsreporter.com/pa-republicans-join-nationwide-push-to-ban-transgender-girls-from-womens-sports/

04/02/2021

In 2014, a group of parents and school districts filed suit against the state for what they say is an inadequate and unconstitutional system of education funding. After seven years, they're headed to trial this September https://plsreporter.com/landmark-school-funding-lawsuit-heads-to-trial-this-trial-will-finally-hold-our-general-assembly-accountable/

03/30/2021

Pennsylvania schools will see nearly $5 billion in the latest round of federal aid under the American Rescue Plan. See where it's headed with our interactive map: https://plsreporter.com/map-see-where-nearly-5b-in-federal-stimulus-for-schools-is-headed/

03/29/2021

Justin and Sam return to the podcast to discuss not one... not two... but three bill packages that are being reintroduced in Harrisburg. From economic recovery to gun reforms to anti-hate crime laws, there's plenty to talk about this week.

Listen to full episodes at right2know.podbean.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus, you can watch full episodes at The PLS Reporter on YouTube.

03/22/2021

With both chambers of the legislature back for session, Justin and Sam examine the status of a proposed emergency constitutional amendment, as well as a bill that criminalizes spitting on law enforcement officers. Plus, the duo provides the latest on four special elections slated for May 18.

Listen at right2know.podbean.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus, you can watch full episodes at The PLS Reporter on YouTube.

03/22/2021

Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward said Monday that the caucus does not believe that an advertising error made by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration, which effectively voided an amendment to create a legal window for child sexual abuse survivors to sue their abusers, meets the criteria necessary for lawmakers to fast-track the proposed constitutional change.

Full story: https://plsreporter.com/pa-senate-leader-says-chamber-wont-move-expedited-constitutional-change-for-child-sex-abuse-survivors/

03/18/2021

Pennsylvania Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam touts ‘progress’ with more than 3.9 million vaccine doses administered. https://plsreporter.com/beam-touts-progress-with-more-than-3-9-million-vaccine-doses-administered/

03/15/2021

Justin and Sam return to examine how two major developments in Washington will impact the Keystone State. First up, what the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Act will mean for the commonwealth. Then, President Joe Biden's goal to have all adults eligible for vaccinations by May 1 and what that means for Pennsylvania's vaccine rollout.

Listen to this week's full episode at https://right2know.podbean.com and subscribe to Right 2 Know wherever you get your podcasts.

03/10/2021

On Wednesday, Congress passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, the latest federal aid package aimed at helping states manage the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvania will see more than $13 billion in government aid, plus more for state agencies and individuals. https://plsreporter.com/pennsylvania-to-receive-13-7b-in-state-local-aid-from-american-rescue-plan/

03/08/2021

With March 6 marking the one-year mark since the first COVID-19 case was identified in the commonwealth, Justin and Sam walk through what the coronavirus pandemic meant for state government over the last year, as well as what issues lawmakers will still have to grapple with in the coming months. Listen to Right 2 Know wherever you get your podcasts, or check us out on YouTube for a video version of this week's episode.

03/03/2021

Pennsylvania will dedicate its first allocations of the newly approved, single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to education workers in the coming weeks. Wolf said this will help teachers feel more comfortable about returning to in-person teaching.

https://plsreporter.com/with-more-than-120000-vaccine-doses-dedicated-to-educators-wolf-says-education-community-should-be-covered-by-end-of-march/

03/01/2021

Justin and Sam have plenty to talk about on the latest episode of the podcast. From what the latest census updates mean for redistricting, to a bipartisan proposal to legalize recreational ma*****na, the duo walks through the latest developments in Harrisburg. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Full episodes & more: https://right2know.podbean.com/

02/27/2021

Gov. Tom Wolf reintroduced plans for charter school reform as part of his 2021 proposed budget. With lawmakers poised to introduce legislation that would change funding and add oversight measures to charter school administration, charter leaders are pushing back.

Read on: https://plsreporter.com/wolf-lawmakers-reintroduce-charter-school-reform-efforts/

02/25/2021

‘Elephant in the room’: Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) joined Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) this week in sponsoring an adult-use ma*****na legalization bill. Both say it could bring substantial revenues to the commonwealth as the state faces a difficult financial future.

Read our *FREE* story here: https://plsreporter.com/elephant-in-the-room-laughlin-joins-street-in-sponsoring-ma*****na-legalization-bill/

02/22/2021

In the latest episode of Right 2 Know, Justin and Sam return to discuss the state's ever-evolving COVID-19 vaccine rollout, including the recent revelation that a mistake in vaccine administration has led to a shortage of available Moderna vaccines.

Full episodes & more: https://right2know.podbean.com/

02/19/2021

Across the commonwealth, school districts are grappling with what a return to in-person learning looks like. Influencing their decisions? Community transmission, material constraints and how the virus has impacted their students.

Our latest *FREE* story: https://bit.ly/2M9yRgi

02/18/2021

In January, some vaccine providers began mistakenly administering Moderna vaccines that were allocated for second doses as first doses, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said today. As a result, the state is currently dealing with a shortage in available second Moderna doses.

Continue reading: https://theplsreporter.com/pa-vaccine-providers-improperly-administered-moderna-vaccine-doses-leading-to-shortage/

02/09/2021

Gov. Tom Wolf gave his first pandemic-era budget address on Feb. 3, which Republican legislative leaders deemed to be "dead on arrival." In our latest podcast, Justin and Sam examine Wolf's plan and its future in the state legislature.

Full episodes & more: https://right2know.podbean.com/

02/05/2021

Gov. Tom Wolf's 2021 budget address focused heavily on investments in basic education, funded by an increase in the state's personal income tax. But how much more would your district receive under Wolf's new proposal?

Explore our map for free: https://plsreporter.com/map-where-is-wolfs-proposed-school-funding-headed/

02/03/2021

When Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled his budget proposal for the commonwealth on Wednesday, he was immediately met with resistance from Republicans, who deemed the bill "dead on arrival."

Read more about what lawmakers think of Wolf's $37.8 billion pitch here: https://plsreporter.com/wolfs-pandemic-era-budget-proposals-met-with-criticism-from-gop-lawmakers/

02/03/2021

Did you miss Gov. Tom Wolf's budget address? If so, you can watch it on our site, for free, right here: https://theplsreporter.com/watch-gov-tom-wolf-gives-2021-22-budget-address/

02/01/2021

Everything old is new again. That’s true in Harrisburg at least, where Gov. Tom Wolf is once again reviving a plan to tax natural gas production. Justin and Sam discuss Wolf’s 2021 agenda and the proposal to use severance tax revenue to fund workforce development initiatives. The duo also looks at a COVID-19 relief bill moving through the legislature.

Everything old is new again. That's true in Harrisburg at least, where Gov. Tom Wolf is once again reviving a plan to tax natural gas production. Justin and Sam discuss Wolf's latest attempt to use severance tax revenue to fund workforce development initiatives. The duo also looks at a COVID-19 reli...

01/28/2021

Reviving an old severance tax proposal, this time for workforce development initiatives, Gov. Tom Wolf floated the idea of a multi-billion dollar investment designed to aid workers impacted by the pandemic as one of his 2021 agenda goals.

https://plsreporter.com/a-modified-restore-pennsylvania-wolf-revives-severance-tax-proposal-this-time-for-workforce-assistance-efforts/