Episode 35: Holiday bedlam

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 notable failures and deadlocks, like a defeated bill to keep unions from deducting political contributions from state workers’ paychecks, or the seemingly-unending debates over a natural gas severance tax.

Plus, there was plenty of non-legislative action, like a mid-year budget report that conflicts with the Independent Fiscal Office’s findings, some controversy over an investigation into the Lieutenant Governor, and a questionable committee change.

Jason Gottesman of the PLS Reporter and City and State PA joins us to explain all this, and more.

---

State House Sound Bites Podcast: NPR