State House Sound Bites Podcast

This week, Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection made an unexpected decision to halt construction on the Mariner East 2 pipeline, a massive $2.5 billion Sunoco project that’s intended to eventually link the Marcellus Shale gas formation in Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania to an export terminal near Philadelphia—a distance of 350 miles. Over the course … Continue reading "Episode 37: Frozen pipe(line construction)"

Over the last week, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have published two stories on sexual harassment that have caused some uproar. One reported complaints of chronic sexually-tinged misconduct by Montgomery County Democratic Senator Daylin Leach. And another uncovered a secret quarter-million-dollar settlement on a sexual harassment complaint against longtime Berks … Continue reading "Episode 36: Happy holidays, time to talk about harassment"

This was the legislature’s last session week of the year, and they made the most of it. Dozens of bills were passed between chambers and onto the governor, including a contentious abortion restriction measure, GOP-backed proposals to change the budgeting process, and funding reauthorization for the state’s CHIP and unemployment compensation programs. There were also … Continue reading "Episode 35: Holiday bedlam"

Over the last month or so, WITF and other public media stations have been rolling out a series of stories in collaboration with PennLive about the weird ways Pennsylvania draws its electoral maps. Reporting these stories has taken us across the state, from coal mines to cornfields to cities to suburbs to random nursing homes. … Continue reading "Episode 34: Why we need to talk more about gerrymandering"

This week’s episode was recorded live for WITF’s morning show, Smart Talk. It’s about twice as long as usual, plus features calls from listeners. With the year winding down, lawmakers are still entrenched in talks on a few major bills. Marc Levy of the Associated Press and the Morning Call’s Steve Esack join us in … Continue reading "Episode 33: Political games"

Angela Couloumbis of the Philly Inquirer stops by to review a week that may not have seen much significant legislative action, but certainly made up for it in scattershot news items. First up, Tom Ridge (former governor, Vietnam veteran and the country’s first Homeland Security Secretary) had a sudden heart attack this week and, as … Continue reading "Episode 32: Health scares, campaigns, gerrymanders and salamanders"

For years, Democrats and moderate Republicans in Pennsylvania’s legislature have been trying to pass a severance tax on natural gas drillers. They’ve never been successful, and—particularly in the House—attempted legislation has rarely made it out of committee. Right now, a measure is actually poised to make it to the House floor; it just needs leaders … Continue reading "Episode 31: How to kill a bill (and more)"

Now that the state budget is basically done, what’s next? PennLive’s Charlie Thompson and the AP’s Marc Levy sit down to discuss the remaining unfinished business in the fiscal picture—namely, the details of expected revenue from borrowing and gaming expansions. We also delve into the ethical questions that are now plaguing reauthorization of Pennsylvania’s CHIP … Continue reading "Episode 30: Loose ends and looming deadlines"

It’s probably a little much to reference T.S. Eliot in a podcast title. But dealing as we are with a budget balanced on a borrowing-based plan that none of its makers even like, it does feel appropriate. This week, after four months of trying, the House and Senate successfully got an entire $2.2 billion revenue … Continue reading "Episode 29: Not with a bang, but a whimper"

This week, a budget plan based almost entirely on borrowing and internal fund transfers was mostly passed by the House, and Senate leaders indicated they’re going to give it serious consideration. Even the Republican authors of the plan admit, they don’t like it much. So why, then, does everyone seem so resigned to passing it? … Continue reading "Episode 28: We all hate it. Let’s vote for it."

State Treasurer Joe Torsella stepped back into the political fray this week when he authorized a short-term loan to get the commonwealth’s general fund through a few lean days. That move comes after he spent about two months refusing to authorize a loan on the grounds that the budget wasn’t balanced. It technically still isn’t, … Continue reading "Episode 27: What happens next? It’s anyone’s guess."

At the beginning of this week, it seemed as though Pennsylvania’s three-months-late, unbalanced budget was finally heading toward a resolution. But then, one after another, various plans to close the gap sputtered out. By Wednesday afternoon, negotiations had suffered their worst collapse yet. Governor Tom Wolf called a surprise press conference to draw a “line … Continue reading "Episode 26: Meltdown"

Pennsylvania has been drilling natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation for about a decade now, and in all that time, a question has come up over and over without ever being resolved: is the commonwealth getting enough money out of it? Democrats, like Governor Tom Wolf, usually say no. They want a new tax … Continue reading "Episode 25: What even is a severance tax?"

In the past week, Pennsylvania has delayed a major payment to Medicaid insurers, the commonwealth’s credit has been downgraded by a major rating agency, and the Senate has formally vetoed the House’s conservative budget proposal, effectively resetting negotiations once again. The funding plan that was due on June 30 still appears far from finished. PennLive’s Charlie … Continue reading "Episode 24: Whoever Blinks First"

The state House returned to session this week and, after several days of intense budget negotiations, put their cards on the table: a plan—passed narrowly without Democratic support—that relies on monetization of the state’s Tobacco Settlement Fund, internal fund transfers, and very little new revenue. It’s not expected to become law. But it restarts inter-chamber … Continue reading "Episode 23: In which everyone blames everyone else"

The state budget isn’t done, major bills are coming due, credit rating agencies are breathing down lawmakers’ necks, and it’s time for House Republicans to decide what they’re willing to do to fill a $2.2 billion deficit. The problem is, the caucus itself may not even be unified enough to rally around one plan. This … Continue reading "Episode 22: It’s on the House"

When it comes to balancing Pennsylvania’s budget, there’s a phrase you’ll hear over and over from Republicans: “we don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.” And most Democrats say the opposite, with equal conviction. The one thing everyone agrees on? There’s definitely a problem. As the impasse over the ’17-18 budget creeps … Continue reading "Episode 21: Revenue problem or spending problem?"

Apart from House members flitting in and out of various low-profile meetings, the state Capitol has been mostly deserted this week, and devoid of official legislative activity. The only exception was Wednesday, when House State Government Committee chairman Daryl Metcalfe convened an “informational meeting” on Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack’s heavy use of government money. Paula … Continue reading "Episode 20: Stack’s snacks get attention, but budget stays stalled"

Violent clashes between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia dominated this week’s news cycle, and have inspired a wave of intense discussions over the way Americans think about hate. In the first half of this week’s podcast, we’ll discuss the partisan differences that have colored the conversation—both in Pennsylvania, and more broadly. And we’ll … Continue reading "Episode 19: Social unrest; fiscal distress"

The Pennsylvania constitution is clear: residents of the commonwealth have a right to clean, safe drinking water. But that doesn’t mean the funding to make sure that happens is always available. Over the last decade, cuts to the Department of Environmental Protection have drastically reduced Pennsylvania’s complement of water quality inspectors. That means the onus … Continue reading "Episode 18: We have a water problem"