Month: May 2019

This week on State of the State, we’re celebrating Memorial Day and the return of nice weather with a story about the impact—good and bad—people can have on the natural world.

First, a re-airing of a feature on a group of peregrine falcons living on the Rachel Carson State Office Building.

Their nest-placement seems fated.

In the 1940s and ’50s, the proliferation of DDT virtually eradicated peregrine falcons and other predatory birds from Pennsylvania. The situation only turned around in 1962, when biologist Rachel Carson published her landmark book The Silent Spring, about the harm unchecked pesticide use can do to the environment.

Since then DDT has been regulated, and falcons in Pennsylvania have nearly returned to their pre-DDT numbers.

We’ll also hear an extended interview with a group of falcon-watchers who were featured in the story, and who dedicate a significant portion of their days (and nights) to making sure the falcons stay safe.

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Efforts to seriously curtail abortion in Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, Ohio and other states may have dominated the news the last few days, but here in Pennsylvania, state lawmakers have been busy moving their own proposed restriction on the procedure.

The bill in question passed the House on about a week ago. It would ban abortions that are sought based on a Down syndrome diagnosis, and would carry heavy penalties for the doctors that perform them. They could be stuck with a third-degree felony and lose their medical license.

Debate on the House floor sounded like debate on lots of efforts to curb abortion. Opponents say it’s morally wrong, and those who want to keep it legal say the bill would burden an essential right.

Here to discuss where the issue stands in Pennsylvania, and why this bill is the top priority right now, are two Capitol reporters: John Baer is a Philly Inquirer columnist who has covered decades of abortion debates, and Stephen Caruso with the Penn Capitol Star has been taking a close look at how these votes have shifted in recent years.

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This week, the state Capitol hosted hundreds of gun rights supporters for an annual event they call the Rally to Protect Your Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Over the years, there have been lots of efforts to tighten Pennsylvania’s gun laws—like creating universal background checks, starting a gun registry, or banning bump stocks—accessories that help semi-automatic weapons fire like automatic ones.

Most proposals haven’t gotten very far, in large part because the state legislature is pretty sympathetic to gun owners.
But if you talk to the people at the rally, you get the sense that they feel a crackdown is coming.

In this episode, we take you inside the event, and then you’ll hear extended interviews with some of the people who spoke with us.

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Last legislative session, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly came to a rare, bipartisan consensus on criminal justice and passed the Clean Slate Act–a measure that helps former inmates get their records expunged.

Now, the House and Senate are trying to move the needle on other criminal justice bills.

This morning on Smart Talk, we’re spending the hour with a panel of Democrats who–among other things–have been central to negotiations on cutting down on the commonwealth’s long probation times, regulating the way criminal defense is funded, and making it easier for inmates to reintegrate after serving sentences.

We’ll hear from Democratic State Representative Jordan Harris and Senator Anthony Williams–both of whom serve as minority whip in their chambers, and are members of the Legislative Black Caucus.

We’ll also hear from two former inmates–newly-appointed Board of Pardons Secretary Brandon Flood, and onetime House Speaker Bill DeWeese.

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