Getting served: New special interest comes to PA liquor privatization party

By   /  May 22, 2013  /  Business, Legislature, Lobbying, News, Pennsylvania, State Government  /  1 Comment

Liquor 008

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent

HARRISBURG — In Pennsylvania’s liquor privatization debate, everyone wants a taste.

A new special interest is suddenly asking for a seat at the table after the state legislature’s actions threaten the financial fortunes of its members.

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PA gov. pushes back on IFO Medicaid report

By   /  May 21, 2013  /  Affordable Care Act, Featured, Federal Government, Health Care, Issues, News, Pennsylvania, State Budgets, State Government, Uncategorized  /  No Comments

HIDDEN COSTS: As much as $515 million in costs and savings of Medicaid expansion were mis-estimated by the IFO, according to the Corbett Administration.

The administration of Gov. Tom Corbett says a report on Medicaid expansion by the state’s Independent Fiscal Office improperly claims as much as $515 million as savings, revenue or underestimated costs to the state.

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Pennsylvania chief justice’s record held up, torn down by reform group

By   /  May 20, 2013  /  Constitution, Judiciary, News, Other News, Pennsylvania, State Government, Uncategorized  /  No Comments

ron castille

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent

HARRISBURG — Judges in Pennsylvania typically have no problems securing their offices in retention races.

In 45 years, only Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro lost his seat in 2005, after an infamous pay raise lawmakers gave themselves in the middle of the night inflamed state voters.

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Who wants to be mayor of PA’s broken capital city, and what difference does it make?

By   /  May 20, 2013  /  Featured, Issues, Local Government, Local News, News, Pennsylvania, Politics & Elections, State Government  /  No Comments

BROKE AND BROKEN: Voters in Harrisburg will chose a new mayor this year, with the first key election set for Tuesday.

HARRISBURG – It is hard to believe anyone would want to run the city of Harrisburg.

To say the Pennsylvania capital, hugging the banks of the Susquehanna River, has seen better days is more than an understatement. The city is saddled with more than $300 million in debt and resides under a state receivership that limits the city government’s ability to hurt itself even more.

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National labor union gave $180K to nonprofit for ‘political activity’ during Oct. 2012

By   /  May 17, 2013  /  Accountability, Issues, News, Pennsylvania  /  No Comments

money-limit

 
By Eric Boehm | PA Independent
HARRISBURG — A nonprofit running ads attacking Gov. Tom Corbett received at least $180,000 last year from a powerful national labor union.
Pennsylvanians for Accountability, a Pittsburgh-based “social welfare nonprofit” is exploiting a loophole in state campaign finance laws to avoid filing reports on donations and expenditures. In addition to their attacks [...]

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