The House Transportation Committee met Friday in Philadelphia to confront one of the major looming problems in the state’s future: the sunset on $400 million in annual funding that the Pennsylvania Turnpike provides to public transportation.
 
Act 89 of 2013 established the PA Turnpike Commission allocate $450 million annually to public transit and multimodal funding. Those payments will shrink to $50 million as of 2022. 

Amid all the floor debates, press conferences and committee hearings, the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s newest co-sponsorship memos can get lost in the shuffle. That’s why The PLS Reporter rounds up some of the most noteworthy co-sponsorship memos each week, so you can stay informed of what’s going on in the Capitol.

 

In this week’s feature are memos for proposals that would reform how parole and commutations are recommended in Pennsylvania, implement unpaid family leave for school activities and update a new law regarding public school police officers.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale held a press conference Friday morning where he gave an update on his audit of Harrisburg School districts finances. 

While DePasquale stated that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, there have also been a lot of improvements in the schools. 

In early May, 20 activists were arrested at the Capitol as they dropped banners and dollar bills with the word “bribe” inscribed on them to the House floor. The demonstrators, from the good government group March on Harrisburg, wanted to send legislators a message: pass a ban on gifts to state lawmakers.

Now, as policymakers are set to reconvene in Harrisburg for the start of the fall session, one House lawmaker hopes that a new gift restriction proposal will satisfy both lawmakers and activists.