Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24) introduced legislation today to increase penalties for school bus drivers who get behind the wheel to transport our children while under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance or a dangerous combination of both. [Read More]
Senate Appropriations Committee members highlighted concerns about potential cuts to cyber charter schools, unfilled seats for pre-K programs, and ways to boost student achievement statewide during a budget hearing with the Department of Education today. [Read More]
Senate Appropriations Committee members raised concerns about the level of spending in Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget, inefficiencies in state government, and the potential consequences of irresponsible budgeting during today’s budget hearings. [Read More]
Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, is calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to change a proposal from PJM Interconnection that he says unfairly shifts energy costs onto Pennsylvania families and businesses. [Read More]
Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-27) announced she has introduced Senate Bill 1201 to strengthen oversight and consumer protections related to “finders” who offer to recover unclaimed property for a fee. Culver said the proposal will help protect Pennsylvanians from unnecessary charges while maintaining the option to use a finder. [Read More]
Senate Appropriations Committee members used today’s budget hearings with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) and presidents of several universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) to highlight the negative impacts of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s energy policies, and ways to strengthen post‑secondary educational institutions. [Read More]
Serious concerns were raised about PennDOT’s questionable management of public transit and infrastructure projects during a budget hearing with the Senate Appropriations Committee today, with lawmakers pressing the agency not only on project oversight but also on the growth of funding held in certain accounts and the lack of transparency surrounding how those dollars are being spent. [Read More]
Growing prison costs, and the economic benefits of eliminating the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in Pennsylvania and improvements to the state’s permitting process were discussed during budget hearings with the Department of Corrections, the Pennsylvania Parole Board, and the Department of Environmental Protection today. [Read More]
Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee raised concerns about the growing cost of Medicaid and other entitlement programs and how to identify and eliminate fraud during a budget hearing today with the Department of Human Services. [Read More]
The cost of security upgrades for Gov. Shapiro’s private residence and his use of the State Police and other taxpayer-funded resources were scrutinized by members of the Senate Appropriations Committee during budget hearings with the Department of General Services and the Pennsylvania State Police today. [Read More]
