tag | Pa general assembly

“Name another job, where you get convicted of a crime and can remain in that job for years? So why should elected leaders be treated any differently?”

The 253-member General Assembly ended the fiscal year with a budgetary reserve that easily surpassed the former high mark of $215 million, reached in 2006.

As a follow-up to its voter engagement work last year, advocates with the Poor People’s Campaign and other groups presented a list of policy items to lawmakers in 30 states including Pennsylvania.

A Spotlight PA analysis of legislative records found lawmakers requested and received $726,877 from the beginning of March — as the pandemic emerged — through the end of 2020 as reimbursement for lodging and meals while traveling to and from the Capitol or other meetings across the state.

After spending much of the fall organizing to get out the vote, members of the Latino and immigrant organization CASA are calling on lawmakers to support several initiatives, including allowing undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition at the 14 state-owned universities and community colleges.

A lot of things happened in 2020 — including many actions in the state legislature that figure to have lasting impact.

McClinton made history last month when she was elected as the first woman of color to serve in a leadership role for the minority party.