Cutting Costs for Winter Rec Programs

The Nutter administration and the Philadelphia School District have worked to reduce costs for city winter recreational programs. By cutting costs by $1.8 million, they will be able to maintain winter recreation programs for 16,000 city children using school gymnasiums.

The plan places heavier significance on the School District's larger athletic facilities, and reduces the use of smaller gyms, which cannot handle the same amount of traffic larger facilities can. The city will pay the School District $338,000 to cover longer hours at these 25 larger schools, while the District will continue to cover costs at the 80 smaller schools.

The deal takes effect Nov. 5 through March 23.

Over 20,000 unprocessed voter registration applications

With eight days left until election, there are still 23,000 unprocessed voter registration applications in Philadelphia. While the City Commissioners Office was supposed to have finished processing the applications October 29, they have moved that back to November 3, two days before voters hit the polls.

City Commissioners Chairwoman Stephanie Singer told CityPaper that a combined issue of the massive amount of electronic applications from the state Department of Transportation and slow computer servers caused the delay. She also told that that the Office hired extra workers to speed up the process and extended the deadline for correcting incomplete voter registration applications to Nov. 2.

No school property taxes?

Act 1776  and Bill 1400 have one goal: replace school property taxes with increased  sales and income levies.

Introduced by Republican Rep. Jim Cox in the House, the bill would not immediately take effect; rather it would be enacted over the course of two years.

If it was made law, the income tax would increase from from 3 percent to 4 percent, and the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent.

Not everyone in Pennsylvania is on board; the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue said the plan would leave a $3.5 billion deficit and the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center has vocally spoken out against the bill.

Changes Made to Charter Schools Testing Requirements

Does the Corbett administration favor charter schools over public? 

Changes to testing requirements for charter schools imply just that.

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis has simplified the testing process for charter schools, enabling them to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) more easily than state public schools. While public schools are evaluated by whether they meet certain test score targets in each grade tested, charter schools will now only have to meet those goals in one of three groupings of grades: 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Under these changes, only one grouping of grades must perform well to meet AYP.

According to City Paper, Governor Tom Corbett gave charter schools a similar edge last month with a new law which require that test scores be included in only public school teacher evaluations, not charter.

These laws may inflate charter schools’ progress, as an Allentown Morning Call revealed.

Beer Sales in Pennsylvania!

Craft breweries may now be able to sell their products  farmers' markets and food festivals  across the state.

House Bill 2429, introduced by State Representative Dante Santoni Jr., Democratic chairman of the House Liquor Control Committee., passed in the House, 175 to  20 on Tuesday.

Under the bill, the breweries, with appropriate permits, would be permitted to offer tasting and sales of their products for off-premises consumption. The permits would only be available for companies which produced an annual total of less than 25,000 barrels of beer.

In a press release, Rep. Santoni said, “The craft brewing industry has grown at an astonishing rate in the past several years. House Bill 2429 would allow these small businesses to participate more fully in the niche markets that exist for their products."

Pa. Dems Tout Fundraising Advantage

Kathleen Kane, Rep. Eugene DePasquale, and Rob McCord all have reason to celebrate. With only six weeks to go until the general election, each Democratic candidate holds a fundraising advantage.

Mrs. Kane, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, has generated over $1.4 million, and was left with $1.2 million on hand. Her opponent, Cumberland County DA Dave Freed, has raised $807,000 since May and has $1.2 million on hand.

Similarly, the Democratic candidate for auditor general, Rep. Eugene DePasquale, holds a slight lead in fundraising over Republican challenger state Rep. John Maher. Mr. DePasquale raised $243,000, with almost $200K on hand. Mr. Maher reported raising $152,000, with only $86,000 on hand.