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Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a $36.1 billion state budget Tuesday that doesn’t count on any widespread tax increases — even though Wolf’s plan increases spending by almost a billion and a half dollars.

Under the governor’s proposal, public schools in Pennsylvania would get an additional $100 million, the formula for funding charter schools would be changed to one set tuition of $9,500 per student compared to nearly $8,000 to $21,000 charters currently receive depending on which school district they’re in, raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026, charge a fee to residents of municipalities that don’t have their own police departments but instead use the state police for coverage.

Republican legislators criticized Wolf’s budget for spending too much.

Even though not budget related, Gov. Wolf also called for stricter gun laws, including a red flag law that would temporarily take guns away from people considered a danger to themselves or others.

Franklin and Marshall College political analyst and pollster Dr. G. Terry Madonna appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to break down Gov. Wolf’s budget outline.

Meanwhile, Dr. Madonna also provides insight into two other political events with major consequences this week — President Trump’s State-of-the-Union Address and the problem-laden Iowa Caucuses.

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Technology gifts were a hot commodity this past holiday season.

Computers, flat screen TV’s and smart phones topped shopping lists. But buyer beware! If, and when, those electronics break down, fixing them will be a lot harder than you may realize.

Since the growth of the world wide web, manufacturers are no longer offering repair manuals in product packaging. If you can even locate a manual for the product, it may require specialized tools or instruments that are difficult to find.

A report by PennPIRG, a public interest advocacy group, found that while many Pennsylvanians want to fix their own property, they don’t have access to spare parts or technical information.

This is no accident, according to organization associates. By controlling repairs, manufacturers can set pricing. Often, it is less expensive to replace a product than it is to repair it; an obvious benefit to the manufacturer.

Advocates want to help consumers who want to fix what they own.  Appearing on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss “right to repair” legislative reforms are Emma Horst-Martz, PennPIRG associate, Tim Mentzer, owner of Mentzer Repairs in Ephrata, Gay Gordon-Byrne, Executive Director, The Repair Association and Olivia Webb, outreach coordinator with iFixit.

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Twenty years ago, the first 2-1-1 system in the country was established in Georgia to fill a need for people seeking services for themselves and their families.

Today, more than 95% of the country is covered by the 2-1-1 system and Pennsylvania is part of the network, with 100% coverage.

The PA 2-1-1 system is a program of the United Way of Pennsylvania and putting people into contact with community-based resources like housing, putting food on the table, and paying for utilities.

PA 2-1-1 can help no matter where you are in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvanians can pick up the phone and dial 2-1-1, and the call will be directed to one of five contact centers in the state. They can also text 898-211 or email info@pa211sw.org to be connected.

Appearing on Monday’s Smart Talk to offer more details on the program are Kristen Rotz, President, United Way of Pennsylvania, Debbie Reihart Executive Director of PA 211, Kelly Gollick, Executive Director of PA 211 South Central and Chris Kapp, Coordinated Entry System Manager for the Central Valley region.

 

 

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Today on Smart Talk we’re talking about judicial selection, racial bias in policing, legislative oversights and voting machines.

First up, we have Republican state Representative Russ Diamond of Lebanon County who is sponsoring a bill that would elect judges by region, instead of statewide. We’ll also hear from Democratic state Senator Vince Hughes of Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, who is not a big fan of that idea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we’ll hear from Spotlight PA investigative reporters Dan Simmons-Ritchie and Matt McKinney on two of their recent stories. Simmons-Ritchie looked into evidence of potential racial bias among state police officers, and asked the state police why they’re not tracking certain data on race. And McKinney investigated why the state Inspector General’s office bought a ton of guns, but can’t use them.

Finally, PA Post reporter Emily Previti explains why she’s been closely watching two court battles over voting machines—and why the machines in three counties are in legal limbo just a few months before the presidential primary.

 

 

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Many election polls taken before the 2016 general election were wrong. Most reflected data indicating that Democratic candidate Senator Hillary Clinton was leading candidate Donald Trump.

Trump went on to win the election, which only a few polls indicated might happen. The election results left many questioning the value of election polls.

Experts caution that polls are often misunderstood and that they should be used as a snapshot, rather than a predictive tool.

Berwood Yost is the Director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College. The Center has published the results of the most recent election poll and Yost appears on Smart Talk to explain how this poll and others can be used effectively.

Where do Pennsylvanians stand on the candidates for president and several other issues? Yost analyzes the results of the latest F&M poll on Smart Talk.

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A recent report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found that Pennsylvania failed to properly monitor companies that work with people with intellectual disabilities. The Inspector General said critical incidents were not reported as required. Critical incidents involve things like abuse, neglect, an emergency room visit or the death of a person with an intellectual disability who receives Medicaid benefits.

In 2015 and 2016, two people died and the deaths weren’t reported. As a result, the state couldn’t follow up and law enforcement couldn’t investigate.

WITF’s Transforming Health reporter Brett Sholtis has written about the reports and appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to provide more details.

Also on Smart Talk – reflections on the life of former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed who died last Saturday. Mayor Reed was arguably one of the most influential people in central Pennsylvania over the past 50 years. Sharing their thoughts are John Luciew, as a reporter with The Patriot News he covered Harrisburg during Reed’s tenure; Randy King, former press secretary for Reed; Fred Clark, former chair of the Harrisburg authority and former director of the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District; Democratic State Representative Patty Kim of Dauphin County and a former Harrisburg City Councilwoman.

 

 

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When Soviet soldiers entered the Auschwitz concentration camp in January 1945, it appeared empty at first; devoid of both guards and prisoners. That wasn’t the case.

The Nazis had evacuated most of the prisoners in their hurried departure, but left thousands who weren’t strong enough to survive the forced evacuation.

Auschwitz was located in German-occupied Poland and consisted of three different camps; a concentration camp, a labor camp, as well as gas chambers and a crematoria at Birkenau. It is estimated that more than 1.1 million people died there.

Before leaving Auschwitz the Nazis attempted to destroy evidence of the horrific crimes committed there. History would soon account for their actions and the Auschwitz-Birkenau “Death Factory” would become known as the most “notorious killing site of all time.

We’re joined on Tuesday’s Smart Talk by a Holocaust survivor and also hear why Holocaust education is so important.

Appearing on Smart Talk to reflect on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz are Linda Schwab, Holocaust survivor, Professor Neil Leifert, Director of the Center for Holocaust & Jewish Studies Penn State Harrisburg and Jeff Hawks, Education Director of the Army Heritage Center Foundation and State Coordinator, National History Day in Pennsylvania.

Also on Smart Talk – reflections on the life of former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed.

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Citing a study that found that one million adult Pennsylvanians struggled with serious psychological distress at least once in 2015, the Wolf Administration has launched a new mental health initiative that includes more resources and public outreach.

Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters is a multi-agency effort that aims to strengthen mental health care access, prepare state agencies and workers to help and reach out, increase the support and resources for children and young adults, and combat mental health stigmas.

The program is somewhat modeled after the state’s efforts to help those impacted by the opioid crisis.

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the initiative are Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller, Democratic State Representative Michael Schlossberg of Lehigh County, Dan Jurman, Executive Director of Office of Advocacy and Reform, and Govan Martin, Executive Director of Prevent Suicide PA.

For more on information on mental health, plus a deeper look at the changing tide of healthcare–check out WITF’s Transforming Health, a partnership of WITF, WellSpan Health and Capital Blue Cross.

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Bloodhounds are recognized for their long, wrinkled faces and distinctive bark. But they are most prized for their ability to find what, or who, is lost.

Bloodhounds are considered one of the canine kingdoms most tenacious and gifted scent-finders. Summit Search and Rescue employs the breed to help track and locate missing people. The group is called by area law enforcement to help track missing children, hikers and even Alzheimer patients.

The Search and Rescue organization has realized that detective canines are also great therapy dogs, with special skill in putting kids at ease.

Appearing on Friday’s Smart Talk to highlight the talented breed are Terri Heck, Summit Search and Rescue president and K-9 handler, along with Detective Canine Briggs.

Also, enslaved people traveling north toward freedom are said to have used the the night sky to find their way. A newly installed art exhibit titled Finding Freedom is focusing on Lancaster’s location along the Underground Railroad and the use of the night sky as a guide for those seeking freedom.

Artist Sonya Clark‘s work is now featured at the Phillips Museum of Art in a newly installed exhibit called, “Sonya Clark: Finding Freedom.” The exhibit features a large-scale fabric installation, and Clark’s work interweaves history, craft, and race to create mixed-media pieces that “celebrate blackness and address racial stereotypes and tensions.”

Clark is a Professor of Art and the History of Art at Amherst College in Massachusetts, as well as a Distinguished Research Fellow in the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. She also has a significant international exhibit record and two major exhibitions in Philadelphia that were featured in a New York Times article.

Sonya Clark is on Friday’s Smart Talk, along with Amy Moorefield, director of the Phillips Museum of Art, to discuss the exhibit at Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster.

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For most people who don’t come into contact with the Amish community on a regular basis, the Amish are a curiosity. To them, the Amish appear to live an idyllic existence marked by peace, their faith and rejection of modern transportation and energy. The neighbors of the Amish in Lancaster County and other places in Pennsylvania would add hardworking to their descriptions of the Amish, as well, and many are protective of the Amish community.

However, a year-long investigation by the non-profit newsroom Type Investigations and Los Angeles-based journalist and filmmaker Sara McClure found the Amish are hiding what they call a horrifying secret — that Amish children are being sexually abused by their family members and neighbors.

In an article that is published this month in Cosmopolitan Magazine, McClure writes that she identified 52 official cases of Amish girls and boys being sexually assaulted in seven states over the past two decades. The article also says that most often the sexual assaults are not reported to police, are kept quiet within the Amish community and that many times, the Amish side with the abuser rather than the victim of the assaults.

Two experts on the Amish from Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies appear on Thursday’s Smart Talk to discuss child sex abuse in the Amish community. We’re joined by Elizabethtown College Professor Emeritus Donald Kraybill, Ph.D.,Distinguished Professor and Senior Fellow, Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College and Steven Nolt, Ph.D., Professor of History and Anabaptist Studies at Elizabethtown College.

Book discussed on the program – For the Sake of a Child; Love, Safety, and Abuse in Our Plain Communities, Author: Allen Hoover, Dr. Jeanette Harder

 

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