Pennsylvania in Focus

No EMS-related hearing in the General Assembly is complete without legislators and testifiers sounding the alarm over a system in crisis. At a Senate Health and Human Services hearing on Tuesday, these warnings and more echoed in the Capitol. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for...

Pennsylvania’s emergency services face a serious financial crisis — and a dire situation to recruit first responders and ensure their health. The state’s inaction, combined with mounting demands, leaves firefighters frustrated. Emergency workers scale back their voluntary commitments or quit for easier jobs with higher pay. Many of them suffer from PTSD and health problems. Suicide rates eclipse t...

Voters in Philadelphia ranked crime as a top concern heading into the May primary election. Democrats, who have a strong majority in the city, even chose former City Councilwoman Cherelle Parker, who campaigned on public safety. Whether Parker, who rode to victory on the support of the city’s political establishment, can align her policies with voter preferences, however, remains to be seen. Suppo...

Two controversial gun bills cleared the state House on Monday with bipartisan support, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get anywhere near the governor’s desk any time soon. That’s because, despite Democrats’ slim margin in the lower chamber, Republicans still control the Senate by six votes – and they believe stricter laws, including universal background checks and emergency protection orders, won’t...

Attracting businesses and encouraging entrepreneurs already in the area to grow the economy isn't the only issue holding back rural workforce growth. Other practical problems that pop up, from the pressures of family or a lack of infrastructure, can keep residents out of a job, state officials told the Senate Majority Policy Committee recently. “Bringing people into Pennsylvania and keeping them h...

The possible parameters for a state budget compromise emerged this week in a window across the street from the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. The Commonwealth Foundation, a free market think tank headquartered just steps from the building’s grand rotunda, unveiled signage for its “Shapiro’s Promises” campaign – in reference to Josh Shapiro’s overtures for bipartisan cooperation during his fir...

Researchers say they recently discovered a grim consequence of the pandemic: overdose death rates climbed dramatically. The United States saw overdose fatalities increase 50%, with 107,000 people dying in 2021. The biggest spikes happened among American Indian and Native Americans and black Americans. Among adolescents, overdoses more than doubled. Federal regulatory changes during the pandemic, h...

Democratic state officials, both current and former, sailed to victory in contested primaries across the state. Republicans, likewise, held the 108th state House district despite hope from Democrats to widen their narrow one-seat majority in the lower chamber. Meanwhile, the stage has been set for a November showdown for the open state Supreme Court seat. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.s...

A revenue analysis estimates that Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal for adult-use cannabis could bring in more than $250 million annually — but legalization advocates aren’t so enthusiastic. The concern is not about legalizing and regulating marijuana. Instead, it’s a worry that Pennsylvania will repeat the mistakes of high-tax states that have failed to move people from the illegal market into...

Long-simmering problems in Pennsylvania’s emergency medical services system have created stress points for ambulance services and fire departments big and small. The House Democratic Policy Committee held a panel on Friday to hear from first responders on where their legislative priorities should be to address the growing crisis. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsy...

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity leads a coalition of state financial officials pushing back against new federal mortgage fees they call “unconscionable.” “This new policy makes it more expensive for people with good credit to buy houses – and that’s absurd,” she said. “Americans who have built a good credit score and saved enough to make a strong down payment should not be penalized and force...

Onerous rules that restrict new housing and make it impossible to build starter houses or small apartment buildings drive up prices and push homeownership further out of reach, experts told Senate Republicans on Wednesday. As Pennsylvania faces a housing shortage, a return to abundance may require state-level zoning reforms – and limits on local control, they say. Support this podcast: https://pod...

Nurse practitioners rallied in Harrisburg on Wednesday for greater independence in practice, advocating for a change that dozens of other states have already made. More independence would mean abolishing state requirements for nurse practitioners to have a collaboration agreement with a physician. Instead, advocates want NPs to have full practice authority to see patients and provide the treatment...

Advocates of skill games rallied at the Pennsylvania Capitol on Tuesday in support of legislation that would regulate the industry, removing them from a legal gray area outside of the state's gambling law. Supporters emphasized the importance of skill games for Pennsylvania businesses and veterans groups, along with the potential tax revenues that would follow regulation. Support this podcast: htt...

In a Monday hearing, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee was warned of the lurking taxpayer cost for plugging orphaned and abandoned wells. While current policy caps bonds on conventional oil and gas wells at $2,500, the actual cost of plugging an abandoned one is much higher – $30,000 or more. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/s...

Pennsylvania lawmakers sent two identical constitutional amendments back to the chamber floor on Tuesday for future consideration. The do-over comes six weeks after the chamber referred the amendments back to the Judiciary Committee for a public hearing, in adherence to new policies adopted after a months-long gridlock provoked a review of operating rules. Support this podcast: https://podcasters....

Mass transit in Pennsylvania nears a financial crossroads in the coming year, and either way, residents will pay the price. After federal pandemic aid ends in 2024, SEPTA – one of the nation's largest public transportation systems that serves Philadelphia and its nearby suburbs – will face a $240 million deficit, leaving no option but to raise fares and cut services. Support this podcast: https://...

Advocates say medication-assisted treatment best prevents overdoses, but awareness and support still lag. The situation means residents dealing with substance abuse disorders can’t access a “crucial” tool for recovery, said Fred Way, founder and executive director of the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences. More than 5,300 people in Pennsylvania died from an overdose in 2021 – the third h...

Research shows more than a third of college students drop out of school because they can’t afford food and don’t qualify for – or even know about – public assistance, leaving them stuck in a hunger “gap” that elected officials want to fill. State Rep. Abigail Salisbury, D-Braddock, told the Department of Human Services on Tuesday she hopes the governor’s administration will support policies that k...

Though one state agency has refused to greenlight natural gas development on its lands, another one has — and reaped a significant windfall from doing so. The Pennsylvania Game Commission – since approving natural gas development a dozen years ago on just one-eighth of the 1.6 million acres it manages – has collected nearly $900 million in revenue to support infrastructure upgrades, land preservat...

More oversight for the gambling industry could be coming to Pennsylvania, this time focused on skill games. A proposed regulation would centralize a monitoring and control system and create a tax structure that could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars to state coffers, advocates say. Skill games look like slot machines, but are games of skill where gamblers can affect the outcome, as opposed...

Local officials have long complained of PennDOT ignoring their concerns. Now, a state lawmaker wants to create a database to track how quickly the Department of Transportation responds to municipal leaders, and how – or if – they resolved the problem. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz...

The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio was just the latest of a number of environmental disasters to hit Pennsylvania. Disasters, leaks, and pollution have damaged the natural landscape across the commonwealth, and Pennsylvania residents pay for the consequences through their health and tax dollars. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support H...

Halfway through the state’s annual budget talks, the governor’s administration appears unified around a single strategy: spend money to make money. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Proposed cuts to Pennsylvania’s support for several chronic diseases may not be all that they seem, budget records show. The Department of Health faced criticism Tuesday during a hearing with the House Appropriations Committee over a proposed 40% funding reduction for programs that serve ALS patients and their families. The department historically earmarks millions in support of diseases that incl...