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July 22, 2011, 3:53 pm
As part of a new series of interviews with department heads, PLS recently sat down with Secretary of Aging Brian Duke, who spoke on a range of topics including the department’s 2011-12 budget and ongoing work to rebalance care for the elderly. Check out a brief excerpt below, and PLS subscribers can head over to the Capitol Toolbox to read the entire interview.
How do you think this year’s budget will affect the department?
I think that the Department of Aging for the most part, their budget will kind of be flat-funded and I don’t foresee any significant changes. I wonder yet, and we’re still reviewing the budget to see what its impact will be on some of the new initiatives we want to initiate out of the Department of Aging to really revitalize those services that were identified in the Older Americans Act and moving forward. I think there will be an impact in the budget on home and community-based services. I think these are hard decisions that have to be made in terms of the services we offer. We’re still working as of yesterday afternoon on trying to what the definitive numbers will be and how we
Continue reading PLS talks with Aging Secretary Brian Duke
April 5, 2010, 10:45 am
PLS sat down recently with state Senator Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia), who after a late start in the race for governor has settled in among three other Democratic candidates and the two Republicans vying for the general election. Following is a brief excerpt from the full interview, which along with our other candidate interviews is available exclusively to PLS subscribers on the Capitol Toolbox – not a subscriber? Sign up for a free trial!
You’ve said that your decision to run for governor really began to coalesce after Tom Knox dropped out. How long before that, though, was the idea rolling around in your head?
I can’t say it rolled around in my head before.
So really, after Knox dropped out you thought ‘maybe this is something I should do’?
It was more like, ‘I’m tired of waiting for somebody to talk about this stuff,’ and we can’t wait anymore. The issues are just too prevalent, too huge. And none of these guys, Republican or Democrat, are talking about them; the financial climate of Pennsylvania. They talk about the pension problem but they’re not talking about the larger issues.
Such as?
We have 13 second or third class
Continue reading Gubernatorial Candidate Anthony Williams Discusses Campaign
January 7, 2010, 2:22 pm
Instead of the usual public signing ceremony before the media this morning, Governor Rendell signed table games legislation SB 711 into law in private, due to a number of “misgivings” he has with the bill. At a press conference afterwards, the governor cited worries over the amount of WAMs and pork in the legislation, which were inserted to secure the necessary votes among members. Nevertheless he reported that with the bill now signed, tables games will be up and running in as many casinos as possible by July, with license fees going a long way to meeting the additional $250 million in revenue needed by the state this fiscal year. He characterized votes in support of table games as “courageous,” and challenged those who voted against it to explain where they would make cuts to bridge the same revenue gap.
The governor also spoke on a variety of other issues, including the same-sex marriage, the 2010-11 budget, and the state of the Democratic Party. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story.
January 5, 2010, 1:12 pm
Speaking at a press conference this morning, Governor Rendell announced that due to cost savings efforts, cash grant payments for eligible families in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will be increased by $100, and the program itself will be extended through April 2nd this year. In addition, the administration reported that if federal contingency funds are released, as has been the case in previous years, even more money could become available for certain LIHEAP participants, including seniors and those with children or disabilities.
The governor also commented on recent table games developments, and said that at this point he is “guardedly optimistic” about having a table games bill on his desk as early as tomorrow. Check the Capitol Toolbox for the full story.
January 5, 2010, 11:58 am
A group of activists led by Gene Stilp today “indicted” the leadership of the General Assembly for inaction on electric rate hikes and demanded enactment of rate hike mitigation legislation. Stilp said the group wants “to again focus attention on the lack of action by the legislature to do anything about the huge rate increases that are affecting homes, businesses and jobs in Pennsylvania.” Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story.
December 30, 2009, 11:04 am
Senator Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin) unveiled a legislative proposal at a press conference today that creates a new Education Empowerment Law. Senator Piccola said the proposal is “intended to strengthen the options, incentives, and penalties applicable to districts and schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.” He indicated that districts that fail to make AYP for eight years or more will “fall under the control of a three-member School Reform Commission” which will report to the Secretary of the Department of Education. Senator Piccola, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said the committee will hold a series of hearings around the state on the legislation. “It’s time we realize that when our children fail, it’s often because the system failed. We must act to provide the children of Pennsylvania’s lowest performing school districts with the education they so very much need and deserve,” he stated.
December 23, 2009, 12:03 pm
Governor Ed Rendell held his annual year end press conference today. The governor said it was a “difficult year for Pennsylvanians” and noted that 500,000 citizens are unemployed and 1.3 million are receiving food stamps. Despite the glum figures, Governor Rendell stated that “Pennsylvania’s economy  is doing better than most states” and highlighted several achievements from the 101 budget stalemate including a “substantial increase in education.” Governor Rendell touched on several issues such as infrastructure spending, transportation funding, health care, and property tax relief. “We’ve made remarkable progress in difficult times,” he stated. Check the PLS Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story.
December 22, 2009, 12:54 pm
At a press conference this afternoon, Governor Rendell announced a new $1.2 billion mortgage program intended to help spur home purchases in 39 counties statewide. The initiative, a partnership between PHFA, the US Treasury, FannieMae and FreddieMac will offer 11,000 long-term (30-year), fixed rate, low-interest mortgage loans, expand the Keystone First program with an additional $10 million in funding, and provide $50 million for approximately 450 new-home construction loans. More details on the program are available on PHFA’s website. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story, including the governor’s latest comments on table games, possible layoffs, and Bonusgate.
December 17, 2009, 4:39 pm
Members of the House Republican Caucus held a press conference today to comment on the table games legislation. Rep. Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) said the majority of the caucus voted against the bill because it “fell short on a variety of fronts.” He indicated that republican members want to transfer “all of the law enforcement responsibilities” now under the control of the Gaming Board to either the Attorney General’s Office or the Pennsylvania State Police. Rep. Turzai said the “timing is inappropriate” because many newspapers have reported that there is “grand jury open into the issuing of licensing” when slot licenses were awarded.  He noted that members also expressed concern about the gaming revenue; “”All of the revenue from gambling in the first bill did not go to property tax relief and none of the money in the new gaming bill will go to property tax relief,” he stated. Check the PLS Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story.
December 17, 2009, 3:15 pm
Governor Rendell advised this afternoon that if table games legislation is not signed into law by January 8th, he will be forced to order the layoff of upwards of 1,000 state workers to help make up the resulting $250 million revenue shortfall. The table games bill, SB 711, which was referred to the House Rules Committee today and will not be taken up again till January 5th, has stalled in large part due to disagreements over Category 3 resort licenses.
The governor said that despite a lack of table games at this point, he will sign a package of non-preferred legislation he had previously said he would withhold. He said he will do so to comply with a maintenance of effort requirement on the part of the four state-related universities. All other non-preferreds will receive a line-item vetoed 50 percent cut in funding, with the exception of the UPenn Veterinary School which will only receive a 12.8 percent cut. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story.
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