Author: Christina Lengyel | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Nurses and other critical staff at Wellspan Chambersburg Hospital averted a planned strike after Service Employees International Union members struck a deal with hospital administrators. Last week’s negotiations led to concessions on both sides but ensured that the hospital will continue operating with its normal staffing for the time being. “We are…

(The Center Square) – Summer work has begun for students throughout the commonwealth who are participating in the Department of Labor and Industry’s MY Work program. The program is an initiative of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation offered to high school students with disabilities. Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy Walker joined students in Lycoming County…

(The Center Square) – A bill aimed at removing a 2007 tax break from wind energy producers has legislators at odds over the supremacy of coal in West Virginia’s economy. Senate Bill 439 would clarify that “wind power projects are not pollution control facilities,” which are taxed at salvage value. The clarification would subject them…

(The Center Square) – Appropriations hearings began with Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency taking the spotlight. The committee is undertaking consideration of a 6.5% requested increase in funding for the upcoming budget, a figure they say would enable them to keep student costs down. Tuition has been…

(The Center Square) – Democrats and Republican legislators had a predictably mixed response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal, setting the stage for a spirited debate in the coming months of negotiation. House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, called Shapiro’s address “a bold plan from a visionary who wants to continue to push Pennsylvanians forward” and…

(The Center Square) – Some Pennsylvania programs providing support to the state’s homeless population are shocked after receiving word that their services fall under the president’s “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” executive order. The order claims that the Biden administration “forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs” into all levels of government…

(The Center Square) – It was a full day of celebration in Harrisburg honoring the inaugurations of Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Auditor General Timothy DeFoor, and Attorney General David Sunday. This marks the first time all three row officer positions have been held by Republicans. Garrity and DeFoor both pledged to build from the momentum they’d…

(The Center Square) – Recruiting new police officers and supporting those already on the job in Pennsylvania remains a constant struggle. That’s why the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency backs local agencies as a way to boost hiring and retention. The latest recipient, Lock Haven City, accepted $14,000 in assistance from the commission in…

(The Center Square) – In December, the Pennsylvania Citizen Law Enforcement Advisory and Review Commission published its first reports following the evaluation of three police conduct cases carried out by state agencies. Two of those cases focused on internal investigations within the agency following an officer-involved shooting and a use-of-force incident. In both circumstances, the…

(The Center Square) – Twenty-one states across the US are raising the minimum wage in 2025. Pennsylvania Democrats would like to see the commonwealth soon join their ranks. Sen. Art Haywood, D-Philadelphia, joined legislators and representatives from the business community in Lancaster to draw attention to the state’s flagging $7.25 minimum. “We are here on…