From Sen. Fontana

Fontana Discusses Corbett's Budget Proposal

Robinson-area state Sen. Wayne Fontana discusses the highlights—and low-lights—of Gov. Corbett's 2013-14 budget proposal.

  Last Tuesday, Governor Corbett announced his 2013-14 budget proposal. Since 2011, the Governor has made drastic and deep cuts to many essential state programs and services, which has contributed to Pennsylvania’s recent trend of growing unemployment and slow crawl out of an economic recession. Although Governor Corbett’s most recent state plan contains the restoration of some reductions from previous years, the majority of the Governor’s proposal is based on unsure funding sources and the uncertain passage of privatizing state programs. Overall, Governor Corbett has announced a plan that calls for a $28.4 billion budget, which represents an increase of $400 million, or 1 percent, from the budget in place when he took office in 2011. Here…

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Corbett Addresses Obamacare, Education, Transportation in Proposed Budget

The governor has raised funding in some areas but at least some opponents don't feel the budget addresses important issues.

Gov. Tom Corbett delivered highlights of his proposed 2013-14 budget in a speech before the state Legislature on Tuesday morning. The $28.4 billion state budget plan, a 2.4 percent increase over this year, includes no general tax increases. In one of the most controversial areas, Corbett recommended against expanding Medicaid, as provided for under the Affordable Health Care Act. Corbett plans to ask the federal government for flexibililty to let Pennsylvania customize the health insurance program for its needs or have the state reject the Medicaid expansion. Under the act, also known as Obamacare, Medicaid could expand to cover people earning up to 133 percent of the poverty level and provide coverage for upwards of 600,000 uninsured …

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Patch Poll: Should Gov. Corbett Award Pennsylvania Lottery Contract to British Firm?

This week, some state House Democrats voiced their opposition to Gov. Corbett's plan to award a contract to privatize the lottery to Camelot Group—with no other bidders in the running.

The Pennsylvania Lottery is one of the most successful and well-managed state lotteries in the nation. Last year, the PA Lottery had annual sales in excess of $3.2 billion and, according to House Democrats, has held administrative costs to record lows of just over 2 percent. According to DailyFinance.com, Pennsylvania State Lottery has steered $20.6 billion to a variety of causes since it began, but its profits have primarily been funneled into an elderly benefits fund. This fund includes subsidies for transportation, tax rebates and Medicare. As of last year, about 61 percent of the annual ticket sales go to prizes, 30 percent goes to the state and the rest is for expenses. That's a higher percentage of prize return than most other states…

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Election 2012: Kane Will Be First Woman, First Democrat Elected to Hold PA Attorney General Post

Pennsylvania voters elect their first woman and first Democrat to be the state's attorney general.

Kathleen Kane achieved two firsts in her Pennsylvania attorney general election victory: She defeated Republican David Freed 56 to 41 percent in unofficial results from Tuesday's voting. Kane won the support of Lehigh Valley voters on her way to statewide success: Lehigh County Northampton County Kane, 46, is a former Lackawanna County prosecutor who will now oversee an office with a staff of about 700 and subject to legislative battles over a budget that now stands at $81 million, according to a Philly.com report. Kane had a slight fundraising edge in the race.  Both candidates pledged a review of the Jerry Sandusky child rape case and its handling by former Attorney General Tom Corbett, now the state's governor.

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JS

9:25 am on Saturday, November 10, 2012

Roger - your point has been pretty consistent. You want the investigation to end for two reasons: One - We all do wrong and people just want to continue this to make themselves feel better about our own crimes and misdemeanors. I still find this argument attempts to trivialize the serious damage that was done to children in this case by comparing it to minor trangressions that we all have in our …   more ›

Moratorium on Court-Ordered Property Tax Reassessments Passed

State Rep. Jesse White said the current property tax reassessment system "has more holes in it than Swiss cheese."

Legislation that would impose a temporary moratorium on court-ordered countywide property tax reassessments in Pennsylvania passed the House Wednesday and is headed to the state Senate for further consideration. A similar bill passed both chambers last year but Gov. Tom Corbett vetoed it after a Senate amendment applied the moratorium to Washington County only and eliminated the timetable for the moratorium. House Bill 2137 is part of a multi-bill package that state Reps. Jesse White, D-Cecil, and Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane, spearheaded to reform what both have called the state's "flawed method of reassessing property values" in order to protect homeowners from dramatic increases in property taxes. The bill has the support of the …

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New PA Laws Tackle Liquor Code, Sex Offenders, Redistricting & Abortion

A total of 24 bills became law last week in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Last week Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed the following 24 bills into law.   The Liquor Code Megan's Law Pennsylvania Congressional Districts Regulations on Abortion Clinics Remaining bills signed into law on Dec. 22 by Gov. Corbett: 

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Day Tripper

Bantam Jeep Festival Celebrates 70th Anniversary in Butler County

Day Tripper urges you to pack up the family and head to Butler for this big weekend event.

The little, mighty Jeep is known around the world for being a pint-size workhorse. General Dwight D. Eisenhower reportedly said that the Jeep was the tool that turned World War II in America's favor. But did you know the Jeep was invented right in our own backyards in Butler? This weekend marks the 70th anniversary of the invention of the Jeep. In honor of this amazing, funny-looking car, The Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau will play host to the first Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Aug. 12–14. For the inaugural event, the bureau has pulled out all the stops. There are so many reasons to attend the festival that I don’t even know where to begin. Up first is what could be a record-making Jeep parade at 6 p.m. Friday. “We hope to set…

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