Members of the Pa. Women’s Health Caucus celebrated their legislative victories from the previous session and announced their agenda to protect reproductive rights over the next two years.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has until Wednesday to approve an application for the state’s first AI-powered cyber charter school. Education advocates see it as a crash grab.
US Sen. John Fetterman reintroduced a national version of Pennsylvania’s Whole Home Repairs program last week turning the popular program into a five-year pilot program.
State Rep. Matthew Gergley died on Sunday from a health emergency he suffered last month. Democrats will continue to control the Pennsylvania House even though the chamber is tied at 101 seats for each party.
“When we invest in afterschool programs, we’re being smart about safety, and we’re saving lives. There’s no more important metric, when we talk about getting stuff done, for the good people of Pennsylvania,” Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said.
Education advocates called on Pa lawmakers to close the $4 billion funding gap between poorer and wealthier school districts over the next four years. A 2023 report found that 387 of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts have inadequate funding gaps.
Public transportation funding continues to remain a top issue during the new legislative session. SEPTA, the country’s sixth largest transit agency, faces an annual $240 million budget shortfall.
Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton was reelected as speaker even though the House is tied at 101 members in each caucus. Gov. Josh Shapiro praised House Republicans for allowing the vote to happen.
Act 146 of 2024, which protects pets from domestic abuse situations, will go into effect starting Jan. 17, 2025. The Humane Society states that 71% of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted their pets.
Pa. House Democrats will control the chamber even though one of their members suffered a medical emergency last week. They will lead operations of the House even though it is tied 101 to 101 for the start of the new legislative session.
