Category: Smart Talk

Could hunting on Sundays be in Pennsylvania’s future? A bill that would give authority to the Pennsylvania Game Commission and take it away from the legislature has passed the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee. That’s as far as the proposal has ever gotten.

Appearing on Tuesday’s Smart Talk is Republican State Senator Daniel Laughlin to discuss the progress of the Sunday Hunting bill and its popularity among sportsmen and women in Pennsylvania. Senator Laughlin represents parts of Erie County is the prime sponsor of the bill and serves as chairman on the Game and Fisheries committee.

Also, New York Times bestselling author Adam Makos tells the story of Clarence Smoyer, an American tank gunner and “natural-born shooter,” whose bravery and courage took him into the Third Reich during World War II.

Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II illustrates the mystery and hardship of Smoyer’s experience with the 3rd Armored Division–“Spearhead”–who successfully destroyed a German Panther tank during “Endkampf,” and developed an unlikely friendship with the enemy.

Joining Smart Talk is Adam Makos, who will discuss Spearhead. Following the program, Makos will appear at Midtown Book Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg,Tuesday at 11 AM, to continue the conversation about his most recent biography.

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American cities and towns have undergone significant changes over the past half-century. Many lost population, businesses shut down, jobs were lost, schools suffered and in many cases crime increased. Some didn’t suffer as much as others and some began to re-think and re-invent themselves sooner than others.

But change took thinking and planning that was innovative and different. Many began using their physical assets like waterfronts to attract residents and visitors. Entertainment venues such as restaurants, bars and theaters increased. The arts often were the driving force behind a resurrection. Speciality schools for the arts or science and technology brought more people. As a result, there are cities and towns that have been resurrected.

James and Deborah Fallows travelled to many of these places and chronicled what they found in the best-selling book Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey Into America’s Heartland. The Fallows recently discussed the book and their findings at Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg and we hear that conversation on Monday’s Smart Talk.

During the discussion, we hear what characteristics successful cities and towns have and how specific places like Allentown, Greenville, South Carolina and the Golden Triangle of Mississippi have made comebacks.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, February 4, 2019:

States are granted the legal authority to hold elections by the U.S. Constitution. So, each state’s laws and regulations for conducting elections are as diverse as the state.

According to some members of the Pennsylvania legislature, the state election code needs modernized. A few changes that have been proposed would require a constitutional amendment to attain election reform.

The Senate’ State Government Committee assessed the Pennsylvania election code last session and, as a result, a group of Senators issued a memorandum outlining co-sponsorship election reforms.

Joining us on Monday’s Smart Talk to discuss the bipartisan initiative are two co-sponsors, Republican State Senator Mike Folmer representing parts of Lebanon, Dauphin, and York Counties and Democratic State Senator Judy Schwank representing Berks County.

Also, the American Lung Association put the state of Pennsylvania on notice that tobacco, as the leading cause of preventable death and disease, must become a priority for state elected officials.

The ALA identified three action areas for the state:

1. Raise the age of sale to 21 for all products, from the current age of 18.
2. Fund prevention and cessation programs, then don’t redirect the money.
3. Close loopholes in Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act.

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the State of Tobacco Control report and E-cigarette use among teens are Sarah Lawver, advocacy director, American Lung Association in Pennsylvania and Jennifer Hobbs Folkenroth, National Senior Director, Tobacco Health Education, American Lung Association.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, January 31, 2019:

As men continue to dominate the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the visibility of women in the those professions often goes unseen.

In fact, women make up almost half of the workforce in the United States. But when it comes to STEM-related careers, they quickly become outnumbered by men, making up only 24 percent of Americans in these fields.

Fortunately, the youngest generation of women is making their way up to the top as early, secondary, and post-secondary education programs begin to put a focus on females in STEM.

In Pennsylvania alone, many undergraduate programs are providing ample opportunities for women to establish careers in STEM-related fields. From 2013-2017, there was an 84 percent increase of female students enrolled in STEM courses at Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology. And at institutions like Harrisburg University, more than half of enrolled students are in graduate programs involving analytics, microbiology and “techpreneurship,” with 50 percent of the overall student population being women.

Appearing on Thursday’s Smart Talk to discuss the rise of women in STEM and the potential lack of inclusivity in STEM education is Stephanie Slocum, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Central Pennsylvania representative, Judd Pittman, STEM Advisor for the Department of Education, Beth Teske, Assistant Head of School for Academics and Science Department Chair at Linden Hall School for Girls, and Olivia Bennett, sophomore engineering student, York County School of Technology.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, January 28, 2019:

There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania, each one with unique municipalities and governing challenges.

Every year, the state’s County Commissioners assemble a list of legislative priorities that best represent the interests of all of them. Because county governments provide direct human services to their publics, their priorities are often high stake. The 2019 legislative priorities reflect this.

Voting system improvements and broadband expansion are just two of the priorities that appear on the list this year.

Joining us on Monday’s Smart Talk to discuss the 2019 County Government priorities are Lisa Schaefer, Director of Government Relations, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, and Kathi Cozzone, CCAP president and a Chester County commissioner.

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He was described by others as kind, funny, generous and helpful; memories of a loving son, brother and friend.

These images are in sharp contrast to Dylan Elchin’s other role in life: A special forces airman, combat controller. The person responsible for calling in Air Force assets during a fire-fight. Confident and cool under pressure; tasked with protecting his team in very tense life and death situations.

Air Force Staff Sergeant Dylan Elchin died November 27^th, while on deployment in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. He and three other Americans died after their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Elchin was 25 years old.

Air Force Staff Sergeant Dylan Elchin will be laid to rest Thursday — as he requested — at Arlington National Cemetery.

PA Post Reporter Ed Mahon appears on Smart Talk to discuss the impact Elchin’s life, and death, has on his family and friends from Western Pennsylvania.

Also on Thursday’s Smart Talk, Ben Franklin Technology Partners in one of the nation’s longest-running technology-based economic development programs. They help new companies take root in the Pennsylvania business climate.

However, state funding of the organization has dropped by more than 50 percent over the past decade. Ben Franklin Technology partners believe that Pennsylvania economic development has suffered, as a result.

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the impact of the budget cuts is Ryan Glenn, Director of Statewide Initiatives at Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

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Since the identification of DNA in the mid-twentieth century, scientists have made incredible advances developing uses for the genetic information goldmine. Medical diagnostics, genealogy research and crime investigations routinely concentrate on the information, and direction, that DNA provides.

Criminal investigators are now using DNA databases to help crack older, unsolved cases. In Pennsylvania, one such case captured the national spotlight.

In 1992, 25-year-old Christy Mirack was raped and murdered in her Lancaster County home. No one was ever apprehended or charged with the crime until last summer, when investigators looked to genetic genealogy to help break the case.

A local man, Raymond Charles Rowe, 50, was charged with the crime, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole this month. The DNA evidence linking him to the crime is a combination of solid police investigative work and chance, when his family member submitted DNA to a genealogy database.

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss DNA forensics and the Mirack case are Craig Stedman, Lancaster County District Attorney, and CeCe Moore, Chief Genetic Genealogist with Parabon Nanolabs, the organization who assisted the Lancaster DA with identifying Christy Mirack’s murderer. Also joining the conversation is Dr. Mitchell Holland, Penn State Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a fellow with American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

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Clean Slate Law and food safety

Criminal justice reform legislation is unifying state and federal legislators on the way to what President Trump calls a “necessary step toward addressing the deep-rooted issues in our country’s criminal justice system.”

In Pennsylvania, lawmakers approved the Clean Slate Law in summer 2018. The law expands criminal record sealing to include more types of offenses, including some first-degree misdemeanors. The Clean Slate Law enjoyed wide bipartisan support and is the first of its kind in the nation.

Criminal justice advocates say this law will “enable Pennsylvanians with records to earn a second chance, lift families out of poverty, reduce crime and recidivism.”

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the impact of Clean Slate are State Representative Sheryl M. Delozier, 88^th District, Cumberland County (part), Mark Walmer, lawyer with Bentley, Gibson, Kopecki, Smith, P.C. and Eileen Cipriani, PA Labor and Industry Department, Deputy Secretary for workforce development.

*Correction — Republican Sen. Camera Bartolotta is the Co-chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Reform Caucus, not Sen. Lisa Baker as stated on Smart Talk. Sen. Baker chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. The other Co-Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Reform Caucus is Democrat Sen. Art Haywood.

Also, how safe is the food we eat? With one of the safest food systems in the world, Americans make a lot of assumptions about the reliability and safety of our food.

But the frequency of food product safety recalls in the last few years should make consumers take pause.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss trends and recent case studies is Michael Samuelson, PennPIRG (Public Interest Research Group) associate.

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