Tom Corbett

Polls Show Rising Support for Legalizing Medical Marijuana in PA

Mary Wilson — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:19:27 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett won’t be budged by public opinion polls when it comes to marijuana.

Support is high for legalizing the drug when obtained with a doctor’s prescription.

But Corbett has said making medical marijuana legal will not rule out abuse of the drug, because prescription drugs are abused now.

"This is a gateway to many other drugs," he said. "I believe we have a drug problem in this country. We have a drug problem in the state of Pennsylvania."

Corbett made his remarks on the Radio Pennsylvania “Ask the Governor” program.

Corbett to Tap New Education Secretary

The Associated Press — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:41:34 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett says he'll name a central Pennsylvania public school superintendent as his new education secretary, with outgoing Ron Tomalis becoming an adviser on higher education issues.

Corbett said in a statement Wednesday that he'll nominate Cumberland Valley School District Superintendent William Harner as education secretary.

Corbett's statement didn't explain the reason for the change.

The Makings of Pennsylvania's Pension Funding Crisis

Noah Brode — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:16:42 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett and his allies in the state Legislature have introduced controversial legislation to reform the pension systems for state employees and public school teachers.

The sponsors say the bills make necessary cuts to reduce the state’s massive liability problem. Unions argue that the measures are illegal because they cut current workers’ future benefits.

To get a handle on how Pennsylvania’s two public pensions ended up in their current funding crisis, one has to look more than a decade into the past.

A Big Commitment

Corbett Hesitant to Rank Legislative To-Do List

Mary Wilson and WESA Staff — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:57:52 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett is reluctant to pull any legislative issue from the very top of his crowded agenda.

But other legislative leaders appear more than happy to do it for him.

The governor has said he wants four things done before lawmakers leave for their summer recess: a budget, liquor privatization, a transportation funding package and an approved overhaul of the state’s two pension plans and the debt that comes with them.

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi said the pension issue, however, is looking too complex and controversial to tackle by July.

Three Months Later, Corbett's Pension Plan Takes Shape in Legislation

Mary Wilson — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:18:23 +0000

State House and Senate lawmakers have stepped up to sponsor legislation to advance the governor’s plan to overhaul the state’s two pension systems.

Corbett & Sen. Dems in War Over His Words

Mary Wilson and WESA Staff — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:53:33 +0000

A week has passed since Gov. Tom Corbett's ill-received comment tying Pennsylvania's 7.9 percent unemployment rate to job applicants unable to pass drug tests. But Senate Democrats are revisiting earlier comments that they say are reflective of Corbett's policies. The governor insists it’s much ado about words.

The Senate’s top Democrat says clumsy statements by the governor are significant not because they make easy hay for political opponents, but because of what they reveal about Corbett himself.

Some Employers See Merit in Corbett's 'Drug Tests' Comment

Mary Wilson — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:14:38 +0000

Some employers say finding job applicants who can clear drug tests is a real concern, though it may not be as large a contributor to the state's 7.9 percent unemployment rate as a recent comment by Gov. Tom Corbett would suggest.

"There are many employers that say 'We're looking for people, but we can't find anybody that has passed a drug test, a lot of them,'" Corbett said on the Radio Pennsylvania show Ask the Governor. "And that's a concern for me, because we're having a serious problem with that."

Poll Shows Corbett's Approval Rating Still Low

Mary Wilson and WESA Staff — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:12:59 +0000

A new poll finds Gov. Tom Corbett is stacking up poorly against real and potential Democratic challengers in the 2014 gubernatorial election.

The Quinnipiac University survey of more than 12,000 registered voters pegs the governor’s disapproval rating at 47 percent, with 38 percent of those surveyed approving of his job performance.

Senate Democratic leader Jay Costa said although some argue the governor has time to buff up his image, the results are far from meaningless.

Commonwealth Court Denies Injunction to Stop State Health Centers from Closing

Erika Beras — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:57:46 +0000

The Commonwealth Court has denied an injunction to not close state health centers, according to the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, which represents public health nurses.

The Corbett administration is planning on closing or consolidating 26 state health centers. The Department of Health has said that closing centers would allow services to be streamlined and for staff to work in a more mobile capacity. State health centers provide services such as vaccinations and STD testing.

Corbett Offers Little Clues on State Supreme Court Vacancy

Mary Wilson and WESA Staff — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:12:01 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett isn’t giving any indication of what kind of influence the Senate Democrats may have over who he’ll nominate to fill an upcoming vacancy on the state Supreme Court.

The minority caucus will be crucial, since confirmation requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

Last week, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent Corbett a list of five names – all Republican judges – from which to choose to guarantee a swift confirmation process.

State AG: Culture of Corruption 'Won’t Ever Be Eliminated'

Tim Camerato and Essential Pittsburgh — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:38:29 +0000

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane doesn’t believe it’s possible to rid the state of corruption, but her office is working to set an example to public officials through prosecution.

In an interview today with 90.5 WESA's Essential Pittsburgh program, Kane discussed the scandal in the Turnpike Commission.

Pittsburgh and Santiago to Swap Artists Via Cultural Exchange Program

Emily Farah — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:26:43 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett signed an agreement Tuesday making Chile and Pennsylvania "Sister Chambers" by fostering job growth and business development opportunities between the two governments. The agreement came at the end of the governor's trade mission to Brazil and Chile.

Corbett Tax Plan Full of Promises, But Opponents Have Doubts

Mary Wilson and WESA Staff — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:05:01 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett's tax reform plan is getting a closer look from state lawmakers.

The proposals would lower the state’s corporate net income tax and complete the elimination of another tax on businesses.

Department of Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser said the net effect will be more than $1 billion in new tax revenue over the next 17 years.

"That comes from personal income growth, that comes from employment, and that comes from sales tax revenues that are derived from those who are now working that weren’t before," he said.

Corbett to Embark on South American Trade Mission

Mary Wilson — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:37:42 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett is headed on his second trade mission to connect Pennsylvania businesses, commerce groups and a university with potential customers in Chile and Brazil.

Nineteen companies are going on the trip, including a small business aiming to help blind musicians read music, a global manufacturer of plastics that just bought part of the old Sunoco Marcus Hook refinery and Walmart.

Also attending are 19 representatives of the commonwealth, including the heads of a few state agencies and First Lady Susan Corbett, who plans to promote Pennsylvania tourism.

Lower Interest Rate Extended for State Loan Programs

Mary Wilson — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:27:07 +0000

The Corbett administration is sweetening the pot for a bit longer for businesses applying to participate in certain state loan initiatives.

A three-month pilot program offering a lower interest rate is being extended for applications submitted through June. The lower rate was inspired by a recommendation from a governor-appointed commission tasked with finding ways to spur investment in the manufacturing sector and support efforts to retain and create jobs.

Corbett Administration Hewing to New Rules for Grant Program

Mary Wilson — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:29:55 +0000

The Corbett administration says it’s trying to make an executive branch grant program leaner without having to wait for legislation.

Scroll through a list of projects that have gotten money since 1986 from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which is controlled by the governor’s office, and you see some big numbers: $35 million. $85 million. $185 million dollars.

Sometimes the grants went to train stations and business parks. Sometimes they went to convention centers and stadiums.

Millionaire Tom Knox Won't Run for Pa. Governor

The Associated Press — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:15:42 +0000

Millionaire business executive Tom Knox says he won't run for Pennsylvania governor and is instead considering another bid for Philadelphia mayor.

Knox said in a statement Thursday he has decided not to run for governor. In recent weeks, other Democrats have been announcing plans to challenge Republican Gov. Tom Corbett in his expected 2014 re-election bid.

Corbett Warns Senate: Finish Liquor by July

Mary Wilson — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:58:12 +0000

The liquor privatization bill that passed the state House is complex.

It has been years in the making. Its bouquet contains elements of many differing retail interests.

But unlike a fine wine, Gov. Tom Corbett isn’t asking the state Senate to let it breathe or drink it in slowly.

The governor’s message here is: Get it down quickly.

At a press conference near Reading on Wednesday, he turned to the lone state senator in the room with a warning:

Corbett Meets With Sebelius: No Decision Made on Medicaid Expansion

Erika Beras — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:03:36 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett met with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday night to discuss, among other things, potential Medicaid expansion in the state.

Expanding Medicaid, the federal-state medical assistance program, would cover thousands more people in Pennsylvania. Part of the Affordable Care Act, governors have the option to decide if they will expand coverage in their states.

Corbett has said he won't because he doesn't think the state can sustain the costs of the program over time.

Capitol's Health Care Hawks Waiting for Corbett-Sebelius Meeting

Mary Wilson — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:13:46 +0000

All eyes will be on the governor in the days following his April 2 tete-a-tete with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Ever since Gov. Corbett said he would go straight to the source to answer some of his remaining questions about a Medicaid expansion, the pressure mounting over the issue has subsided.

Backers of Medicaid Expansion Want Corbett to 'Stop Fooling Around'

Josh Raulerson — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Labor and healthcare advocacy groups are using this April Fool's Day to make a point: that Gov. Tom Corbett's decision to forego a federally funded expansion of Medicaid in Pennsylvania is, well, foolish.

Members of three groups — Working America, the Pennsylvania Health Access Network and the Consumer Health Coalition — plan to deliver 9,000 petitions to Corbett's office urging the administration to lower eligibility requirements for the federal program.

Controversial Head of DEP Leaving Agency to Work on Behalf of Energy Industry

StateImpact Pennsylvania — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

The head of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection, Michael Krancer, announced recently he will be leaving the agency on April 15 to return to Blank Rome, an influential Philadelphia law firm where he worked during the 1990′s.

Corbett Boosts Money to Fight Domestic Violence

The Associated Press — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:40:01 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett is defending his proposal to increase state spending to combat domestic violence by 10 percent.

At a news conference Friday at the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg, Corbett said the $1.3 million increase would support an array of valuable services ranging from shelters for battered women to counseling and legal services.

Corbett said domestic violence often occurs behind behind closed doors or involves people who know each other, but that "we all agree that it's not acceptable."

Corbett Administration Expects State Pension Proposals to Withstand Court Challenge

Mary Wilson — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:42:39 +0000

The Corbett administration says proposed changes to state pensions will ultimately withstand a court challenge because they can be proven to serve the public good.

One piece of the governor’s plan would reduce future unearned benefits of current state and school district employees.

Public sector unions have promised a court battle if the change is signed into law, saying it would be struck down for breaching the state’s contract with workers.

Duquesne Prof: PA Supreme Court All Talk, No Action on Vacancy Pick

Mary Wilson — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 22:00:57 +0000

One legal observer says the state Supreme Court is all talk, no action when it comes to making its own pick to replace the suspended justice who plans to resign in May.

The interim judge will fill the seat of suspended Justice Joan Orie Melvin, who’s resigning in May as she awaits sentencing for campaign corruption.

The high court’s chief justice suggests his colleagues might make their own choice for a replacement, preempting an appointment by the governor to fill the vacancy.