Harrisburg, June 18, 2015 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Sens. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) and Rob Teplitz (D-Dauphin/Perry) who serve as members of the Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) today hailed the new proposed statewide education funding formula as a responsible, predicable and equitable approach that would improve education for all students.
The formula, which the commission is recommending to be used to distribute basic education funding from the state to local school districts, was unveiled and unanimously adopted at a commission meeting this morning in Harrisburg. The proposal still has to be approved by the General Assembly.
The senators said the plan would address the wide inequity in education resources that hold back students from the poorest districts.
The formula contains five factors that reflect the actual costs of educating children in various economic circumstances: poverty, poverty concentration, English language learners, charter school enrollment, and district size. Local tax effort and tax capacity are also included, as is a determination of relative wealth of a district based on median income.
Pennsylvania is only one of three states that have no funding formula for public schools and has the distinction of having the most inequitable spending for poor students in the country.
The commission did exemplary work in crafting a new funding formula that is meaningful and substantive, Costa said. The commission was able to cut through politics, regional bias and complex issues to produce a funding structure that, if fully funded, will help students, parents, teachers, administrators and taxpayers.
Dinniman said he is pleased with the new funding formula but its success is totally dependent on the General Assembly providing sufficient dollars to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to be educated to the top of the curriculum.
The goal is to improve performance statewide and eliminate funding disparities that plague student development by removing funding impediments so state funding is equitably distributed, said Dinniman, who serves as the Senate Democratic Education Chair, said. For too long, Pennsylvania school children and taxpayers have had to overcome funding challenges which were created in Harrisburg.
The new funding formula will rectify the imbalance and equitably spread funding.
Teplitz, who is a member of the Senate Education and Appropriations committees, praised the commissions process of developing a fair formula that was crafted in a bipartisan, open, and inclusive way. Its equally important to ensure that basic education is also properly funded, he said.
The formula that was developed by the commission on a bipartisan basis addresses funding equity, but we also must ensure that our schools are also adequately funded. If we want all kids to have access to a quality public education, we must not only divide up the pie more fairly, but also increase the size of the pie itself, said Teplitz. Being a member of this commission was a tremendous experience and I look forward to continuing to fight for our children.
Recognizing the need to develop a predictable, fair, and equitable education funding formula, the General Assembly passed Act 51 in 2014 that created the commission. BEFC has 15 members, including 12 legislative appointees and 3 cabinet officials. Costa, Teplitz and Dinniman are the current Democratic appointees. Sen. Matt Smith (D-Allegheny) served as a member of the committee until his announced departure from the Senate.
The senators said the formula represents a fair and equitable way to disburse education dollars for funding public education. The poorest 25 percent of districts will be getting an average of four times more from the formula than the richest 25 percent of districts.
Costa said because the formula was developed on a bipartisan basis with input from the administration, he was hopeful that the formula would be supported by increased education funding in the upcoming state budget.
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Contact: Stacey Witalec
Telephone: 717 877-2997
Email: switalec@pasenate.com
Harrisburg – June 16, 2015—Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today issued the following statement applauding the Senate’s passage of legislation renewing and improving the statewide 911 emergency communications system. The measure, House Bill 911, passed the Senate unanimously.
“More than 25 years ago, the General Assembly made a commitment to develop a statewide emergency communications system. This legislation renews our desire to fund and improve a system that is responsible with connecting emergency responders to residents and communities in time of need.
“Over the course of the past two years, members from both the Senate and House worked with community leaders, emergency responders, the telecommunications industry and interested stakeholders to develop significant, substantive and meaningful improvements to the emergency communications law.
“Bringing a wide range of organizations together to help craft legislation of this magnitude was challenging but I couldn’t be more pleased with the final work product. This is an important step forward that will make differences in the lives of citizens throughout Pennsylvania.”
The current Act, providing for Pennsylvania’s emergency communication system was set to expire on June 30, 2015.
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Harrisburg, June 10, 2015 − State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today applauded Governor Tom Wolf’s decision to eliminate the cost of the child abuse clearances and criminal background checks for volunteers.
In 2014, the General Assembly passed a package of bills designed to help prevent child abuse and increase protections for children by requiring volunteers working with children to obtain background clearances. However, since that time the cost of the clearances became a major impediment for volunteer and community organizations.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the work of the General Assembly in acting to protect our children when we passed comprehensive legislation requiring background checks for those who work with children.
“However, since the law was implemented, volunteer community organizations — from youth soccer clubs to volunteer fire companies – have expressed concerns over the cost of the clearances and the burden that these new requirements place on the organization.
“As with any significant change in the law, we recognize adjustments may need to be made from time to time. The governor’s action removes the financial burden that the background checks imposed on organizations and makes our approach stronger.
“What doesn’t change is the need to protect our children and ensure that those working with our kids in any volunteer capacity receive the necessary clearances.”
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Harrisburg – June 8, 2015 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said it is appalling that Senate Republicans opposed the nomination of Col. Marcus Brown to serve as commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police and voted against a nominee who is “exceptionally qualified and experienced.”
Brown was nominated earlier this year by Gov. Tom Wolf. Brown’s nomination was defeated by a vote of 22 to 26, with all negative votes coming from Republican members of the Senate.
“Republicans today turned aside the nomination of an exceptionally qualified and experienced law enforcement professional. It is sad that the nomination of Colonel Brown turned into a side-show where special interest groups raised petty and illusory issues so they could derail the nomination.
“My hope was that Senate members on both sides of the aisle could rise above the fake controversies, innuendo and attacks and examine Colonel Brown’s record in law enforcement. The Senate should be better than to get caught up inconsequential issues when it considers nominees to such important posts as commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
“In denying confirmation to Colonel Marcus Brown, the Senate did not enhance the security of the citizens of Pennsylvania and it did a disservice to all taxpayers.”
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Harrisburg – June 2, 2015 – Legislative Democrats gathered in the state Capitol for a news conference today to highlight the broad and deep support in the General Assembly for legislation that would create a new $1 billion natural gas extraction tax for education.
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia) along with House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny), Democratic Whip Mike Hanna (D-Clinton) and Democratic Appropriations Chair Joe Markosek (D-Allegheny) in concert with Democratic members of both the Senate and House called on Republicans to move the education investment plan.
In his March budget address, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a new Marcellus Shale gas extraction tax of 5 percent, with a 4.7 cent tax on volume. The plan contains a provision to ensure that the distribution of Act 13 fee revenue to communities is maintained.
“There has been far too little talk and too many delays in considering a gas extraction tax plan that would raise $1 billion for education,” Costa said. “The Republicans in both the Senate and House seem hesitant about addressing the substance of the governor’s proposal and uninterested in examining responsible education investment proposals.”
The governor’s plan would generate an estimated $1.015 billion in fiscal 2016-17.
“The severance tax proposed by the governor is reasonable and responsible and it is in line with the tax rates of the top 10 gas producing states,” Dermody said. “Republicans have sidestepped the adoption of a reasonable energy tax to fund education investments and have instead moved political issues that do nothing to help students.”
The lawmakers said the $1 billion in new revenues would be used to invest in basic and higher education and help replace dollars slashed by former Gov. Tom Corbett.
“The governor’s plan helps backfill the revenues that were lost when school funding was cut during the Corbett administration,” Hughes said. “Students, teachers, administrators, parents and taxpayers need help now and will receive a boost if the new investment plan for education is approved.
“The support for moving a plan in both the Senate and House is wide and deep and is illustrated by the number of members of both chambers who turned out today to publicly support using energy taxes for education.”
The plan maintains the Act 13 fee distribution to communities impacted by drilling, at the highest level to date ($225 million).
“A natural gas extraction tax is a substantive, meaningful way of providing for education, while maintaining the payments to communities that are affected by energy extraction,” Markosek said. “The additional investment for education would be paid by an industry that is engaged in a very profitable activity.”
Costa and Hughes both said that they believe that there is a will in the state Senate to consider a shale energy tax that is earmarked for education.
The senators said that there is far too much disinformation concerning shale extraction being distributed by the industry and threats by the industry to pull out of the state if a reasonable tax were to be imposed are counterproductive.
“We need an industry that is healthy and productive enough to sustain robust job growth,” Costa said. “The responsible tax that the governor has proposed will not hobble gas extraction.”
Hughes said that the gas drilling is very lucrative. Last year, he said, the value of gas severed from Pennsylvania wells was $11 billion up from $4 billion in 2011.
“The major gas producers in Pennsylvania have indicated that they expect substantial growth this year,” Hughes said. “This doesn’t sound like an industry that is ready to vacate.”
Hanna said that members of the House Democratic caucus have been strong advocates of an energy extraction tax because they, like their constituents, “see the relationship between an energy tax on a Pennsylvania-based resource to invest in Pennsylvania’s most valuable resource, our children.”
The current Act 13 fee is insufficient, according to Markosek and needs to be adjusted. The Act 13 fee is the equivalent of a rate of less than 2 percent.
“Our current impact fee is stagnant. The commonwealth is not sharing in the growth of the natural gas industry,” Markosek said. “Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve a better, more responsible, approach that is fair to the industry and funds key investments in education and environmental protection.”
The Democrats said that they are willing to consider all responsible proposals. They said that members of both the Senate and House have offered plans that would be good starting points of discussion but insisted that the lion’s share of funds generated from any of the plans considered be earmarked for education.
They said that they would insist that a reasonable energy extraction tax be included during upcoming budget discussions.
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Contact: Stacey Witalec
Telephone: 717 877-2997
Email: switalec@pasenate.com
Contact: Bill Patton
Telephone: 717 787-3566
Email: BPatton@pahouse.net
Harrisburg, May 27, 2015 – State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today issued the following statement congratulating Sen. Matt Smith (D-Allegheny/Washington) on his appointment to serve as incoming President of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. Sen. Smith’s resignation will be effective within the month.
“For the past three years, Sen. Smith has served as a thoughtful and distinguished member of the Senate Democratic Caucus and was an advocate for hardworking people all across Allegheny and Washington counties,” said Costa. “He is a man of great integrity, whose background makes him the ideal candidate to serve as the President of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber.”
Costa remarked that Smith’s advancement to this position is a testament to the breadth and depth of the experience and expertise he brought to the caucus.
“Matt has earned the respect of everyone who knows and has worked with him. This position will give Matt the opportunity to expand on his record of public service and build from his years of work in the House and the Senate.”
Sen. Smith developed a strong record of support for education, economic development, and government reform during his time in the Senate. He introduced legislation to provide access to housing for homeless veterans, protect the rights of pregnant mothers in the workplace and championed new laws to toughen penalties against those would severely injure or kill a police dog.
Smith served as the Democratic chair of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and also served as a member of the Aging and Youth, Appropriations, Judiciary, and Transportation committees.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the commonwealth and represent the residents of the 37th Senatorial District. I would like to thank my constituents for entrusting me to be their advocate in the district and at the state level, and want them to know that even as I leave public office I will continue to work to make our region stronger and prepare our workforce to compete in the 21st century economy.” Smith said. “I would also like to thank Sen. Costa and all of my Senate colleagues for their partnership and support during my time in the Senate and as I transition into this new role. “
“Matt was a catalyst for change within the Senate and had a firm grasp on issues of importance to his constituents. He will be sorely missed by the entire caucus,” Costa said. “Our loss is truly the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce’s gain.”
No decision has been made on plans to fill his seat. Costa said the office will remain open and continue to deliver the same level of service they have enjoyed under Sen. Smith.
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