Author: Christen Smith | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – As the $14.9 billion overseas acquisition of Pittsburgh’s U.S. Steel barrels toward resolution of some kind, the state’s top-ranking Republican says Gov. Josh Shapiro hasn’t been clear about whether he supports it. The public silence is deafening for those who, like Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, want to see Japanese-owned…

(The Center Square) – Rep. Mark Rozzi held the gavel just one last time on Tuesday. The Berks County Democrat, first elected in 2012, bid farewell from the speaker’s podium in the House of Representatives, where he reflected on the traumatic path that led him to Harrisburg. A survivor of clergy sexual abuse, Rozzi emerged…

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s rape kit evidence tracking system moved one step closer to fruition on Wednesday. Senate Bill 920 will soon head to the governor’s desk after clearing its final hurdle in the state House. Once live, the system will allow survivors to track their kits throughout the testing process – or “from collection…

(The Center Square) – Border security and immigration reform aren’t far from the minds of voters in Pennsylvania and across the country. It’s important to incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., and the Republican candidate challenging him, Dave McCormick, too. So much so that both men spent a quarter of their final debate attacking…

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s financial credit rating just rose again, meaning the government will get better interest rates when borrowing money, just like taxpayers. And, theoretically, that means more money left to spend on schools, roads and public services. It’s all well and good for lawmakers, as long as credit is given where credit…

(The Center Square) – A package of bills that enshrine federal insurance mandates into Pennsylvania law passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Supporters say doing so guarantees the coverage expectations residents have grown accustomed to since the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010 will exist, even if Congress or the Supreme Court makes…

(The Center Square) – First responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder moved one step closer to qualifying for workers compensation in Pennsylvania. The state Senate approved a proposal on Wednesday to expand the program to cover those living with the condition. Twenty-five other states have already done so, according to prime sponsor Rep. Jenn O’Mara,…

(The Center Square) – An expiring state law protects utility customers from rising bills, winter shut-offs and unaffordable reconnection fees. House lawmakers took a big step on Wednesday, passing legislation to reauthorize an expanded version of the law for another decade, but not without disagreement over the long-range impact. Prime sponsor Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Ambridge,…

(The Center Square) – Private school students who pay tuition using taxpayer-funded scholarships achieve higher academic proficiencies than their public school counterparts, according to a recent report. The analysis, compiled by the Commonwealth Foundation, a policy group that focuses on fiscal conservancy, looked at the demographics of nearly 78,000 students who received financial aid through…

(The Center Square) – The company behind the eponymous “Steel City” may be a Pittsburgh icon no more. U.S. Steel, founded in the city more than 120 years ago, said Wednesday that without Japanese-owned Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion acquisition, it would relocate out of Pittsburgh – dealing an economic and symbolic blow to Pennsylvania. The…