Category: State Government Actions

Pennsylvania School Districts Prevail in Equitable Funding Case (February 10, 2023)

On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court President Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer ruled that public education is a fundamental right under the Pennsylvania Constitution and must be equitably funded in a case brought by low-income school districts, along with parents and students, against the PA Department of Education (PDE).

In the ruling in the case of William Penn School District; et. al. v. Pennsylvania Department of Education, “The Court interpreted and applied the Equal Protection Clause to the credited facts in this case. Applying strict scrutiny, the Court concludes Petitioners have established an equal protection violation.”

Judge Jubelirer’s opinion also said that the state constitution imposes that “every student receive a meaningful opportunity to succeed academically, socially, and civically, which requires that all students have access to a comprehensive, effective, and contemporary system of public education.” Stating that “all witnesses agree that every child can learn”, the judge left it up to state legislators, the executive branch, educators, and the PDE to remedy the state’s education funding model.

Lastly, according to the Court, the options for reform are virtually limitless.” For more information from K-12 Dive, click here.

Special Legislative Session to Prioritize Increased Statute of Limitations for Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse Fails (February 4, 2023) 

The January 9th special session in Harrisburg that was called for with the intent to help victims of childhood sexual abuse has failed, with no action taken and no pathway in sight. The session, called for by House Speaker Mark Rozzi and then-Governor Tom Wolf was to vote on a constitutional amendment that would provide victims of childhood sexual abuse a chance to sue their abusers regardless of the statute of limitations. However, it devolved into wrangling over partisan issues instead of taking measures to help survivors of childhood sexual assault. 

The push to pass House Bill 14 was spearheaded by State Republican Representative Jim Gregory, who is a sex abuse survivor. His previous bill passed and should be law, but it was bungled and kept off of the ballot due to an error by the PA Department of State.

During the session, the PA Senate bundled Gregory’s bill, which would have paved the way for a constitutional amendment to expand the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file a civil lawsuit, with two other amendments and passed the bundle as Senate Bill 1. Unfortunately for abuse victims, those amendments were highly debatable items such as a  voter ID requirement  and ending the governor’s ability to veto the General Assembly’s disapproval of a regulation. 

When on January 6, 2023 Governor Tom Wolf issued a proclamation calling for a special session of the General Assembly to be held on Monday, January 9, 2023 to propose a constitutional amendment to retroactively extend the timeline for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil actions, the aim was for the General Assembly to pass the joint resolution no later than Friday, January 27, 2023. This timeframe would have ensured the PA Department of State could meet the publication requirements so that voters would have the opportunity to consider the amendment in May 2023. Earlier, in August 2022, Gov. Wolf and legislative leaders agreed that the constitutional amendment process would be the best path forward.​​​​​​

The proposed language in HB 14 is underlined in section (b) below:
(a) All courts shall be open; and every man for an injury done him in his lands, goods, person or reputation shall have remedy by due course of law, and right and justice administered without sale, denial or delay. Suits may be brought against the Commonwealth in such manner, in such courts and in such cases as the Legislature may by law direct.
(b) An individual for whom a statutory limitations period has already expired shall have a period of two years from the time that this subsection becomes effective to commence an action arising from childhood sexual abuse, in such cases as provided by law at the time that this subsection becomes effective.

FREE ACT 48 Trainings offered for Educators and Nurses on Tourette Syndrome & the Associated Disorders  (February 3, 2023)

The PA Tourette Syndrome Alliance is offering professional training for Educators and Nurses by webinar in February of 2023. This training provides in-depth information about Tourette syndrome, the co-occurring conditions, classroom accommodations and more. There are two options for Educators and one option for Nurses. Please review the dates and times to see which of these will fit best into your schedule. 

Webinar Training Options: (select the one that best fits your schedule) 
-Two-hour training for Educators on Monday, Feb 20, 2023 9:00-11:00 am 
-One-hour training for Educators on Wednesday, Feb 22, 2023 7:00pm-8:00 pm
-Two-hour training for Nurses on Monday, Feb 20, 2023 12:30-2:30pm

To register, go to https://patsainc.org/resources-and-support/support-for-schools/ then click on the button for the date you wish to attend. For Act 48 Credits, please have your PPID available. This number is listed on your certificate (lower left) or look it up here: https://www.perms.pa.gov/screens/wfpublicaccess.aspx   

**PATSA also offers these trainings directly to school teams and for school nurses (all ACT 48 accredited). If you would like to set up an exclusive group in-service training, whether in-person or virtual, please reach out to get your training scheduled. You can call 1-800-990-3300 or by email to [email protected].

DHS Alerts Pennsylvanians About The End Of Emergency Allotment And Other SNAP Changes, Urges Support Of Charitable Food Network (February 3, 2023)

On January 27, 2023, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Secretary Val Arkoosh advised Pennsylvanians of upcoming changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Due to passage of the recent federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, starting in March, SNAP recipient households will no longer receive the Emergency Allotment (EA) additional payment created during the COVID-19 public health emergency and will resume receiving one SNAP payment per month. 

This change will happen for all SNAP recipients, with households receiving letters via mail about the change in SNAP payments. 

“We know this additional SNAP payment has been a lifeline for people over the past three years and that ongoing economic uncertainty and high food prices are contributing to food insecurity for many Pennsylvanians. There is help available for you and your family through Pennsylvania’s heroic charitable food partners,” said Acting Secretary Val Arkoosh. “I urge anyone who can donate food or resources, now is the time to help your local food assistance programs as they prepare to meet this potential additional need.” 

With funds made available due to the federal COVID-19 emergency, DHS began providing EAs as a second monthly payment to SNAP recipient households that were receiving benefits since March 2020. The EAs increased the SNAP budget amount to the maximum available amount for their household size or, since early 2021, were a minimum of $95. These payments were distributed separate from the initial payment as an extra payment each month.  

Due to federal legislation, this month will be the last month EAs are sent; and starting in March, SNAP recipients will only receive one regular SNAP payment. 

Additionally, the 2023 cost of living adjustment for Social Security Income (SSI), which is also set by the federal government, prompted an 8.7 percent increase to SSI income. SNAP eligibility thresholds – also set at the federal level – did not rise proportionally. Because of this, approximately 249,000 households will experience a decrease in their base SNAP benefits by an average of $40 per household, which will take effect in March when EAs end. It is anticipated that approximately 5,000 to 20,000 households will be disenrolled from SNAP due to the SSI increase. These federal changes will primarily affect older Pennsylvanians and seniors.   

Pennsylvanians who need to report changes to their household size, income, or expenses are encouraged to report any changes either online at www.dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS, via the myCOMPASS PA mobile app, or by calling DHS’s Customer Service Center at 877-395-8930 (or 215-560-7226 for Philadelphia residents). This will help ensure households are receiving the maximum SNAP benefit based off their individual circumstances.

DHS recognizes the impact these changes may have on households and wants to make sure families that need food assistance know where to go for help:  

For more information about SNAP Emergency Allotments, visit dhs.pa.gov/SNAPCares. 

Gov. Shapiro Gets Media Attention for Policies on Need for College Degrees (January 30, 2023)

On his first full day in office, Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order announcing that 65,000 Commonwealth jobs don’t require a four-year college degree. As a result, a number of news outlets voiced there views.

The New York Times Praises Gov. Shapiro

The New York Times’ Editorial Board praised Governor Shapiro’s move as a critical step in opening the doors of opportunity and expanding our workforce. The editorial board noted how eliminating college degree requirements for certain jobs has galvanized bipartisan support and “would bring a greater degree of openness and fairness into the labor market and send a message about government’s ability to adapt and respond to the concerns of its citizens” in the modern labor market.  

In addition to signing the executive order, Governor Shapiro also instructed all state agencies to emphasize work experience and skills in their job posting and hiring processes and launched a new website for applicants to easily apply for positions that don’t require a four-year degree.  

Read The New York Times’ editorial here and excerpts below.  

The Daily Item: Opening doors for thousands in Pennsylvania

On his first full day as governor, Josh Shapiro threw a life preserver to 65,000 Pennsylvanians. In the first executive order of his new administration, Shapiro removed the college degree requirement on an estimated 65,000 jobs in the commonwealth government.

Gov. Shapiro — that will still take a while to get used to — estimates that 550 different jobs in state government will no longer require a college degree as a qualifier. The move, Shapiro and other stakeholders said, puts the emphasis on relevant skills, work experience and apprenticeships ahead of what can be a costly piece of paper.

Forbes: Penn.’s New Governor Strikes A Blow Against The College-Industrial Complex

Last week, in his first executive order, Pennsylvania’s new governor announced that 92 percent of state government jobs will no longer require a four-year college degree. Governor Josh Shapiro’s heartening move means that 65,000 state jobs no longer require a college degree, but that candidates will be free to compete for these positions based on skills, relevant experience, and merit. Shapiro’s move follows similar actions taken by Republicans, like former Maryland governor Larry Hogan, hinting at a burgeoning, bipartisan push to temper the role of college degrees in American life.[…]

Gov. Shapiro explained his action last week, saying, “Every Pennsylvanian should have the freedom to chart their own course and have a real opportunity to succeed. They should get to decide what’s best for them – whether they want to go to college or straight into the workforce – not have that decided for them.”

That’s very well said. College can be a very good thing. That’s not at issue. But an inconsistent judicial standard and comfortable employer routines ought not oblige Americans to buy a very expensive piece of paper. Here’s hoping more governors will follow Governor Shapiro’s lead.

Philadelphia Inquirer: What is college for? Gov. Shapiro raises the question. Higher ed leaders are listening.

What is college actually for?

No one expected this to be the initial question raised by Pennsylvania’s new governor, Josh Shapiro, in his first full day on the job. While he may not have stated it explicitly, this was the essence of the Democrat’s very first executive order, which opened up some 92% of job listings in state government — about 65,000 in all — to applicants who don’t have a four-year college degree.

For more info, click here.