Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Governor Tom Corbett and his Democratic challenger Tom Wolf are putting in a full day of campaigning the day before tomorrow’s election. Corbett will be attending rallies in every media market in the state today, ending in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Wolf will also be in Pittsburgh, and also Lancaster. He spent the weekend in southeastern Pennsylvania, and was joined by President Barack Obama at a rally at Temple University in Philadelphia. Corbett’s running mate is current lieutenant governor Jim Cawley. Wolf’s running mate is current state Senator Mike Stack of Philadelphia. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo is being challenged by Rob Astorino. In race for the Twin Tiers’ representatives in Washington – the incumbent Republican men in both Pennsylvania and New York are up against Democratic women. In PA, Kerith Strano Taylor is challenging Glenn Thompson. In New York, Martha Robertson is challenging Tom Reed. In Salamanca, Mayor Carmen Vechhiarella is pitted against Ronald ...

McKean County Democrats voted like the rest of the state in Tuesday's primary and chose Tom Wolf to challenge Governor Tom Corbett in this fall’s General Election. But, while Senator Mike Stack of Philadelphia got the nod for lieutenant governor in the state, he came in third in McKean County behind Mark Smith and Mark Critz. Stack faces off against current Lt. Governor Jim Cawley in November. Kerith Taylor of Brookville beat her challenger in the Democratic primary for the 5th Congressional District seat and will face incumbent Glenn “GT” Thompson in November. Voter turnout in McKean County was dismal with only 2,677 of 21,024 registered voters casting ballots. That’s less than 13 percent. Of the 1,790 Republicans who voted 1,474 voted for Corbett; 1,516 voted for Cawley; 1,602 voted for Thompson; and 1,681 voted for Marty Causer. 1,573 people cast ballots for Stacy Wallace to be the Republican State Committeewoman. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947 ...

HARRISBURG – At a news conference in the state Capitol today, state Sen. Mike Stack discussed two new bills intended to reform marijuana laws to curb the unintended consequences that drain local budgets and waste law enforcement resources. “Beyond the financial cost, our antiquated marijuana laws clog our criminal justice system and consume time that can be better spent arresting and prosecuting violent criminals,” Stack said in a news release sent to WESB. “Over the past 20 years, the number of marijuana arrests has exploded but the price of marijuana has dropped and the availability and potency has increased.” Stack said he has introduced two bills: Senate Bill 1307 will reduce possession of less than an ounce of marijuana to a summary offense for the first two offenses and provide discretion to District Attorneys for third and subsequent offenses, and Senate Bill 1308 will make it easier for former offenders to find a job by making expungement easier. “Increasingly, expun...

A “National Small Business Weekend” resolution has been adopted by Pennsylvania Senate, recognizing the first weekend of the month as Small Business Weekend. The resolution says: WHEREAS, Small businesses in the United States employ 60 million Americans who live and work in our neighborhoods which in turn help to maintain the local economy; and WHEREAS, National Small Business Weekend is a periodic nationwide event that promotes the idea of purchasing locally by urging people to shop at small businesses on the first weekend of every month; and WHEREAS, The event promotes the notions of buying local and buying American and asks businesses to offer more American-made products to further strengthen our national economy; therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the first weekend of each month in 2014 as "National Small Business Weekend" in Pennsylvania. Senator Mike Stack sponsored the resolution and says shopping locally at a neighborh...

PHILADELPHIA, May 28, 2013 – Give Philadelphia the legal authority to go after property and business owners who fail to pay their taxes so we stop robbing students of a quality education, state Sen. Mike Stack today said. With new tools, the city and other municipalities would be able to increase funding for education and the School District of Philadelphia would not be fighting to find the money to close a blistering $300 million budget hole, he said. Stack (D-Philadelphia) today stood with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers to unveil a five-bill proposal that would give the city the power to collect $380 million in back property and business income and receipts taxes. “It is wrong that delinquent property and business owners are playing a big part in the starvation of Philadelphia school students and teachers,” Stack said during a press conference at the front entrance of Abraham Lincoln High School on Ryan Avenue. “It’s equally wrong that the city lacks the legal mu...

PHILADELPHIA — Home invasion impacts communities across Pennsylvania and state Sen. Mike Stack is working to curb the growth of violence with a new state law specifically targeting home invasion. During a public hearing today in Philadelphia, the Senate Judiciary Committee addressed Stack’s legislation creating a specific criminal offense for a home invasion. The act would be defined as a person who knowingly enters another person’s home without permission and threatens or harms the person living in the home. “A home invasion can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare and it can happen at any time. It’s a crime that impacts communities all across Pennsylvania,” Stack said. “Home invasions have led to some horrific crimes, so if we can criminalize the act, we can place a fitting punishment on these particularly evil criminals and help our law enforcement do their job.” Under Senate Bill 1002, a home invasion would be graded as a third-degree felony when it is committed without a weapon and ...

State Senator Mike Stack who says he wants more than a promise from Penn State that it will not spend taxpayer’s money on the NCAA fine or lawsuits and legal fees related to the Jerry Sandusky case. As Penn State continues to feel the fallout from the sex abuse scandal, it’s crucial that the state legislature takes the steps needed to ensure that state-allocated funds are only used toward academic advancement, rather than paying fines and civil lawsuit settlements,” Stack said. Stack said Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities should be subject to the state’s open records law. In addition, the state should require institutions to show transparency on how they spend their state allocations. Stack tried to amend budget appropriation proposals in June that would have offered more transparency, accountability and openness by requiring state-related universities — Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln — to clearly define where their state allocation goes. Under the senator’s propos...

Holocaust Survivor Sam Rosen (Left) helps fellow survivor Sam Sherron (Right) light a candle in honor of Yom Hashoah, also known as Holocause Remembrance Day, in a ceremony sponsored by the PA Governor's Office, and held in the Governor's Reception Room, of the Main Capitol, in Harrisburg today. The event was organized by the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition. Senator Mike Stack says it's important that the story of the Holocaust be passed on from generation to generation, because the prejudices and hatreds that lead to genocide build from small events, and it's important to always be on guard against them. Commwealth Media Services photo The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

PHILADELPHIA, March 8, 2012 — One year after the low-cost state health coverage plan adultBasic was dismantled, Pennsylvanians are still struggling to purchase or maintain affordable health care. A panel discussion hosted by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee today at Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia examined how last year’s demise of the program, which provided low-cost health care to working Pennsylvanians who made too much to qualify for Medical Assistance, is impacting the 40,000 former adultBasic recipients. More than half of the former enrollees still do not have health insurance. The hearing was held at the request of state Sen. Mike Stack (D-Phila.), whose district contained the second highest number of adultBasic recipients in the state. “AdultBasic served to help working individuals who continue to work hard to make ends meet, especially in these difficult economic times. By the time they pay their bills and buy groceries, they have little left to pay for heal...

HARRISBURG -- One year after 40,000 Pennsylvanians were booted from their adultBasic health coverage, state Sen. Mike Stack, along with several Senate Democratic colleagues and health advocates, called for reviving the low-cost state-run health plan. “This was a program that allowed working individuals an opportunity to afford health insurance. They just needed a hand up to stay healthy and go to work. Instead, they got a smack down from Governor Corbett,” said Stack (D-Phila.), the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. “One year later, these folks still need assistance.” The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center estimates that only 40 percent of former adultBasic recipients have found other health care coverage. Specifically, during recent budget hearings Pennsylvania Department of Insurance Commissioner Michael F. Consedine noted that only about a third of former adultBasic recipients were enrolled in the alternative health programs Special Care, Medical...

HARRISBURG — At a meeting in the state Capitol, state Sen. Mike Stack on Tuesday discussed the financial implications of potential liability lawsuits from the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State with the university’s President Rodney Erickson. “I am very concerned about how these potential lawsuits would be handled and how the university will pay for its representation. As the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, I felt it was necessary to hold a serious discussion with President Erickson,” Stack said following the meeting. “The president assured me that no taxpayer funds, student tuition or donor dollars will be used, and he explained that the university’s liability policies are segregated from its general fund,” the senator said. Penn State will receive $214 million in funds from the 2011-12 state budget. The university’s budget for this Fiscal Year is $4.1 billion. “I made it very clear to the president that the investigations at Penn State and any acti...

State Sen. Mike Stack today shared his concerns for the Pennsylvania State University’s ability to handle the financial fallout from the sexual abuse scandal in a letter to the university’s new President Rodney Erickson. “The sexual assault allegations against former coach Jerry Sandusky are appalling, and my thoughts and prayers are with the alleged victims of these atrocities,” said Stack (D-Phila.). “This scandal has rocked Penn State and will have a long-term affect on the institution.” The senator said he is reaching out to Erickson to start a conversation about how the university intends to handle potential settlements in civil cases brought against the university. “As more allegations surface and reported victims file civil lawsuits, I am extremely concerned about Penn State’s level of liability coverage,” said Stack, who is the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. “Penn State must not consider using taxpayer dollars to offset payouts of these lawsu...

By withholding car registration renewal until all court fees are paid, state Sen. Mike Stack today said he has found a way to bring significant money back into the state and cut the budget deficit. He has introduced Senate Bill 836, which would require individuals to pay all outstanding fees and fines owed to the Court of Common Pleas before they can have their car registration renewed. Once an individual pays their fines, surcharges, fees, or penalties, the court would provide PennDOT with authorization to renew the person’s vehicle registration. “We’re in a crisis in Pennsylvania,” Stack said. “We are facing a $4 billion deficit and a governor who believes the only answer is to cut and slash our way to a balanced budget. Pennsylvanians can’t afford more cuts right now, so we must find creative ways to bring in revenue. Senate Bill 836 is a real solution.” Stack joined state Rep. John Sabatina (D-Phila.), Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery and Philadelphia Common Plea...

A bill that would require Pennsylvania’s two largest pension funds and the Pennsylvania Treasury Department to divest from investments in Sudan and Iran has passed the state Senate by a 42-7 vote. “As a civilized Commonwealth, and as one of the states that was directly impacted by the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, Pennsylvania cannot and will not associate itself with rogue nations that sponsor genocide and terrorism,” said Senator Mike Stack. “Companies that choose to conduct business with nations that sponsor terrorism or murder their own people should not be supported by Pennsylvania tax dollars.” At a Senate Appropriations budget meeting in February, officials of the Pennsylvania School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) said they were steadily reducing investments in companies investing in Sudan and Iran. Both PSERS and the State Employees Retirement System say that less than 1 percent of their total investments are in companies doing business in Sudan or Iran. “Divestin...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Governor Ed Rendell says unless state lawmakers come up with new revenue sources, a “significant” number of state workers will have to be laid off. Rendell held a news conference this afternoon saying that the state revenue department received $290 million less than anticipated in April. That’s not including the $100 in table games license fees, which the revenue department projected would be paid, but are not required to be paid until June. That brings the deficit-to-date to $1 billion. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman says the deficit is likely to be $1.3 billion by the end of the fiscal year. " We really need to start over, start from scratch and figure out a way to put the budget together on time – before June 30th – that reflects the revenues we have as opposed to what was projected back in February,” Corman said in a news conference. Rendell says he's ready and willing to work with the Legislature to find ways ...

HARRISBURG – A rising level of anti-Semitism on college campuses across the country led state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams to offer a resolution on Wednesday condemning such conduct and calling on colleges and universities across Pennsylvania to stand guard against it. Williams, a member of the Education Committee in the state Senate, sponsored Senate Resolution 315, calling for the state Department of Education, the State System of Higher Education and each college and university in the Pennsylvania to work to prevent such conduct from happening locally. State Sens. Andrew E. Dinniman, Michael J. Stack and Joseph B. Scarnati co-sponsored the Williams resolution. “I was with a friend and saw a video of Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren giving a speech at the University of California and was just shocked by the ugliness that erupted,” Williams said. “Freedom of expression does not mean acts of intimidation, as was clearly displayed. We certainly don’t want to see this behavior take root ...

New Table Games Act a Bad Gamble The new table games law is a bad gamble for Pennsylvania. It was pushed through following the governor’s threat that he would lay off state workers if a bill wasn’t signed by the first week of January. The political process should not operate that way. There are too many holes in the legislation, especially when it comes to special interests. There is still no measure in the bill prohibiting lobbyists and licensed gaming entity representatives from having a financial interest in a casino. Allowing lobbyists and their immediate family to have a financial interest can lead to corruption and it is inconsistent with the lobbying disclosure law, which is intended to prevent contingency basis lobbying. Under the law, lobbyists cannot receive pay or bonuses contingent upon legislative or administrative action. Why should lobbyists have the ability to exploit a loophole to enrich themselves and their families at the expense of taxpayers? In Philadelphia, there ...

HARRISBURG — State Sen. Mike Stack will soon introduce legislation that would dock pay from state legislators, the governor and cabinet secretaries if a state budget is not resolved by the annual June 30 deadline. “If the General Assembly was a private business, employees would be expected to do their job in a timely manner and would be reprimanded if they missed a deadline. It should be no different at the Capitol,” said Stack, who is the Democratic vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We are expected to do our jobs efficiently. When we don’t, it’s only fair that we pay for our inaction on the budget.” As of today, the 2009-10 Pennsylvania budget is 96 days late. Although Pennsylvania is faced with the difficult task of filling a $3.2 billion deficit during a historic worldwide economic downturn, legislators have been at odds over details over cutting programs and generating revenue. “Democrats and Republicans often have different views on how to spend money in Penns...

State Sen. Mike Stack has once again introduced legislation that would allow car dealerships to be open one Sunday a month. “Car dealerships have been struggling in this economy, and it just seems archaic that they must be closed on Sundays,” Stack said. “Senate Bill 1067 would allow them to open one Sunday a month to provide them with one more opportunity to bring in customers. While they won’t be allowed to open every Sunday, it’s a step in the right direction for dealerships and consumers.” Sunday is the second busiest shopping day of the week. Additionally, with the success of the federal “CARS trade-in program, more popularly known as Cash for Clunkers,” Stack said he believes that more consumers are now thinking about purchasing cars. “The ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program has shown us that consumers are clearly eager to seek out a good value on a vehicle,” Stack said. “This legislation is simply a consumer-friendly move that can have a positive impact on the economy.” Stack introduced...

Bills sponsored by state Sen. Mike Stack that would protect active-duty members’ status in college, and allow certain members of the military notary privileges, were approved yesterday by the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. Senate Bill 825 would allow members of the National Guard returning from active duty to pursue their higher education degree under the requirements in place prior to the their military leave if their graduation requirements have changed while they were deployed. Upon returning from their leave of absence, the service members’ educational status would be restored to what they had attained prior to being ordered to military duty, without the loss of academic credits earned, scholarships or grants. “Many of our National Guardsmen and women are serving actively overseas for long durations. They are giving up their time and, in many cases, their education,” Stack said. “They should not be educationally penalized for their services. This bill...