A push to raise the state's minimum teacher salary has become a bipartisan effort, but it appears to not be enough to ensure a key piece of Gov. Tom Wolf's budget proposal will make it into the final version of the spending document.
Every year, state legislators propose more than 2,000 pieces of legislation. A fraction of those bills become laws. AFTPA's legislative director watches bills that have the potential to affect our members. The bill chart provides links to bills AFTPA is watching, the name of the prime sponsor, a brief description and AFTPA's position. The chart is updated regularly. Click here to view or download AFTPA's Legislation Tracker.
From a century-old school building in South Philadelphia Thursday, Gov. Wolf promoted his plan to repair the state’s aging infrastructure and fund emergency relief. Paying for it involves a “modest” tax on natural gas extraction.
A Janus-related bill (House Bill 785) aimed at weakening public employees' voices and smothering unions in Pennsylvania was voted out of committee but blocked from a vote on the House floor. More post-Janus, anti-union bills possible this session.
The Pennsylvania House and Senate have named the following legislators as majority and minority chairs of their committees. The retirements and election losses brought major leadership changes to several committees.
The Pennsylvania Senate and House have announced their session days for the 2019 Regular Legislative Session. Governor Wolf will make his fifth budget address before a joint session of the House and Senate on Tuesday, February 5. The state constitution requires the legislature to pass a budget by June 30.
The Janus decision has emboldened PA lawmakers to propose a several bills aimed squarely at taking down public employee unions and disempowering school and state workers.
Three Philadelphia legislators propose free college for recent Pennsylvania high school graduates.
A bill to set up individual education spending accounts (Senate Bill 2) funded with money earmarked for public schools passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.
The Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee is considering Senate Bill 2 establishing taxpayer-funded education savings accounts, which is another name for vouchers. AFT Pennsylvania opposes ESAs, vouchers, education tax credits and other gimmicks that divert taxpayer money from public schools that serve the majority of Pennsylvania's children to unaccountable private schools and service providers that serve a few students.