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In honor of Sunshine Week, The Cau- State Rep. Seth Grove had his heart The Legislature must remove the
cus team provides a “Best of” list of set on the Navy, nuclear engineering many barriers that still block citizen
their Right to Know responses – and program and submarine school – not access to basic governmental infor-
nonresponses. PAGE 4 the House of Representatives. PAGE 10 mation. PAGE 9
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 CONTENTS MARCH 13, 2018

The sun rises on the Capitol.

THINKSTOCK | BKAMPRATH

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

4 SUN’S OUT, GUNS OUT

Our Right to Know requests have 10 ACCIDENTAL LEGISLATOR
Seth Grove had his heart set on the
uncovered some pretty unusual Navy, not the House of Representa-
SEND US A NEWS TIP CORRECTION
spending by PHEAA. tives. If you know of a good story, are holding Because of an edit-

6 12
a political event or fundraiser, or want ing error, The Caucus
THE HIGH PRIESTS THE LEAST to share information about a new hire inadvertently omit-
OF SECRECY WORST OUTCOME in your agency or firm, please send an ted the name of Julie
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court jus- Why the special election for south- email to tips@CaucusPA.com or mail to Bancroft, director
tices are dining on your dime, but western Pennsylvania’s seat in PO Box 1328, Lancaster, PA 17608-1328 of public affairs at
the Pennsylvania
they won’t tell you where – or why Congress is likely nothing but bad
Please remember to include contact Coalition Against Do-
news for Trump and the GOP
9
information unless you wish to remain mestic Violence, in
LET THE SUN SHINE IN anonymous. a story on Page 8 of
The Legislature must remove the
barriers that still block citizen ac- 13 CAPITOL DISPATCHES
Committees, hearings, fundraisers
the March 6 edition
about the culture of
sexual harassment in
cess to basic governmental infor- and benefits of the upcoming week ON THE COVER
mation. Design by the Capitol.

14 THIS WEEK IN PA HISTORY

Excerpts of noteworthy,
Abby Rhoad

newsworthy and just plain odd

political news

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Tuesday, March 13, 2018 THE CAUCUS 3

 OVERHEARD ON 3RD
SUN’S OUT, GUNS OUT
Our Right to Know requests have uncovered some pretty unusual spending by
PHEAA — from leg irons to bulletproof vests to, yes, pistols
W
» » BRAD BUMSTED + PAULA KNUDSEN
e’re Right to Know Law nerds at The Caucus.
Receipts, invoices, emails, contracts. We’re always
on the hunt for documents that help illuminate the
dark corners of state government.
So, in honor of Sunshine Week, we The documents provided by PHEAA
give you this list of a few gems we’ve under the open-records law — and it
spotted lately. should be noted PHEAA has been one of
the most responsive agencies respond-
LEG IRONS? ing to requests in a timely and thorough
fashion — show a wide range of police
It came as a surprise to many veteran gear purchased over the past few years.
Capitol observers when The Caucus To handle loan cheats, the agency’s
revealed in January that Pennsylvania’s cops purchased two ballistic vests at
student loan servicing agency has its own more than $700 each, two used hand
police force, called the Investigative Ser- guns including a Sig Sauer P229 for
vice Unit. The small unit’s members hold more than $300, and a Glock Gen4 9mm
the “powers of state law enforcement offi- for more than $400, hundreds of dollars
cers” and their mission is to root out fraud. of ammo, a badge for $23, an expand-
Documents obtained under the able baton, a baton holder and “elite”
Right to Know Law show the unit’s cases military-style first aid kits.
resulted in $1.8 million restitution in The purchase that really threw us for
criminal cases over the course of five a loop?
years, a piddling sum in an agency that The one for leg irons, at $33.
was servicing $410 billion assets as of Some of those loan cheats must be
December 2017. pretty dangerous characters.
4 T H E C A U C U S Tuesday, March 13, 2018
STILL WAITING …
The Caucus published two cover
stories this year about charter schools.
Both articles relied on information
provided through the Right to Know
Law.
But some schools didn’t provide the
records within the time frame afforded
to agencies under the law and The
Caucus filed two appeals with the Of-
fice of Open Records. One school — the
Philadelphia Electrical and Technology
Charter School — has since provided
records and the newspaper withdrew
the appeal.
Another Philadelphia school, how-
ever, still hasn’t coughed up the records.
On Feb. 20, the Office of Open Records
issued a final determination in favor of
the newspaper’s request for records.
The school has 30 days to provide the
records or appeal to the Philadelphia
Court of Common Pleas.
In January, at the beginning of this
particular records-request odyssey, it
took seven days to obtain the name of
THINKSTOCK IMAGES
the agency open records officer at the
Universal Institute Charter School. A
registry of open records officers kept
by the Office of Open Records had no
contact information for the school and
there was no information on the school’s
website.
A Legislative Budget and Finance
Committee report issued last month un-
derscored the difficulty in finding open
records officers for charter schools.
The “majority of the public char-
ter schools did not post any informa-
tion,” the report’s authors said. Out of
a sample size of 100 charter schools, 60
percent of the schools had no Right to
Know Law information posted on their
websites.
Among other recommendations,
the Legislative Budget and Finance
Committee recommends the General
Assembly require agencies to provide
open-records officer contact informa-
tion including name, telephone number,
email address, and physical address to
the state annually or whenever there is a
change in the information.
 OVERHEARD ON 3RD
A SLAPP IN THE FACE
Citizen activist Simon Campbell of
Bucks County is a plaintiff in a civil-
rights suit filed last month in the East-
ern District of Pennsylvania against the
Pennsylvania School Boards Association
and individual defendants.
Campbell’s lawsuit says it seeks to
end a “SLAPP” lawsuit, or “strategic
lawsuit against public participation.”
“SLAPP suits,” the complaint con-
tinues, “seek to use tort liability and the
threat of damages to censor, intimidate,
and silence critics by burdening them
with the cost of a legal defense until
they abandon their criticism or opposi-
tion.”
Campbell has been a frequent filer of
Right to Know Law requests to school
districts and he alleges the School
Boards Association targeted him with a
lawsuit in Cumberland County last year
to make him stop filing records requests.
His lawsuit says he is a “political
activist who advocates for the curbing of
public sector union power.”
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Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Steve Robinson, the senior director
of communications at the School Boards
Association, said he could not comment
on ongoing litigation.
Legislation to expand SLAPP pro-
tections was introduced by Sen. Larry
Farnese, a Democrat from Philadelphia,
in April. It passed the Senate 42-8 last
year and is awaiting action in the House
Judiciary Committee.
Holly Lubart, director of government
affairs at the Pennsylvania NewsMe-
dia Association, said the organization
supports Senate Bill 95. The legislation
“provides a means to end litigation tar-
geting protected speech at an early stage
in the proceedings, saving significant
time and money for media organizations
(and others) faced with SLAPP law-
suits,” she said.
SLAPP lawsuits are designed to stifle
protected speech through costly and
time-consuming litigation, she said.
“Anti-SLAPP laws are an important
tool that discourage and counteract
such suits, and these laws protect and
promote free speech,” she said.
THE CAUCUS 5
 COVER STORY

THE HIGH
PRIESTS
OF SECRECY
David
N. Wecht

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court justices are

dining on your dime, but they won’t tell you
where – or why
Debra
McCloskey Todd

C
» » PAULA KNUDSEN + BRAD BUMSTED

hief Justice Thomas Saylor of — due to security concerns, “Who, what, where, when vehicles is not provided for
it says — where Donohue and why? It’s their money, security reasons,” Witalec
the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
spent taxpayer money. So they should know.” said.
dropped $68 on a meal in Pitts- it redacted the name of the Leo Knepper, chief The court system’s
burgh on Oct. 6, 2015. establishment on receipts executive officer of the pro- spokeswoman said it “has
it turned over to this news- business and government- always maintained pre-
Who were his fellow Todd’s almost $1,300 hotel paper. reform group Citizens Alli- sumption of openness
diners? bill in Hershey in 2016, The Caucus sought ance of Pennsylvania, said to records of the Unified
Thomas What did they order? where she attended a con- expense records for the state justices have “almost Judicial System and has a
G. Saylor How much did he tip? ference of the Pennsylva- state’s seven Supreme become the high priests of strong record in providing
The taxpayers who nia Trial Court Judges. Court justices, but the doc- secrecy.” information to the media.”
covered the expense Which hotel? uments turned over by the What kinds of cars do Asked whether the
don’t know. And they’ll We don’t know, but the Administrative Office of the justices drive at tax- AOPC or the justices
never know from inspect- room rate was $432 a night. Pennsylvania Courts were payer expense? themselves redacted the
ing court records. Even The hotel name is re- blotted with black ink. Good luck finding that information, Witalec said,
the name, address and dacted from the receipts. The court system is not information, too. “Redaction was done sys-
telephone number of the Even Justice Christine exactly a model of trans- Stacey Witalec, a tematically. Information
restaurant are off-limits, Donohue’s $50 shellfish parency. spokeswoman for the court was shared with members
redacted from a copy of the platter in Philadelphia “They’re going out to system, said the redac- of the court, however no
receipt obtained by The seems to be a state secret. eat at fancy restaurants, tions made to receipts and action was taken by any
Caucus in broad swaths of The system that oper- billing taxpayers for food. vouchers for thousands of justice.”
black ink. ates Pennsylvania’s court Taxpayers should know dollars of spending were Saylor, the chief justice,
The same goes for system doesn’t want the where, and why,” said Rep. made for security reasons. said the security measures
Justice Debra McCloskey public or the press to know Seth Grove, R-York County. “Model information for stem from a review several

The following are redacted receipts for dining

and hotel expenses for state Supreme Court
justices. They are from the Administrative
Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

Receipts from left: Justice David Wecht, former Justice Correale Stevens and two from Justice Wecht.

6 T H E C A U C U S Tuesday, March 13, 2018


years ago. Saylor told The Caucus
he agrees with the policy of redact-
ing hotel and restaurant names.
‘WEAK RATIONALE’
Advocates for government
transparency, though, criticized
the court system’s response to
this newspaper’s request for basic
information. John Wonderlich,
executive director of the Sunlight
Foundation, called the court sys-
tem’s explanation for withholding
the names of hotels and restau-
rants a “very weak rationale.”
He noted that it’s easier to find
more details about the president of
the United States and his Cabinet
than it is to track the spending of
Pennsylvania’s top court.
And those details are relevant,
he said.
“Judges having meetings or fre-
quenting certain restaurants could
be relevant to scrutinizing their
conduct,” Wonderlich said.
He said withholding that infor-
mation could be perceived as an
attempt to avoid negative media
attention about staying in upscale
hotels or eating in high-priced
restaurants.
Knepper said the court sys-
tem’s security explanation “really
doesn’t make sense.”
He conceded that many people,
including judges, are creatures of
habit and stay at the same hotels
and eat in the same restaurants,
possibly creating security issues
for jurists concerned about retalia-
tion from criminal defendants. But
the Supreme Court doesn’t exclu-
sively consider criminal cases and
judges who regularly do so could
change their habits in the interest
of transparency, he said.
Melissa Melewsky, the media
law counsel for the Pennsylvania
NewsMedia Association, the state-
wide trade association representing
newspapers, agreed there is little
evidence that making public the
names of the restaurants and hotels
frequented by Supreme Court jus-
tices would be a security issue.
Receipts from left: Justice Sallie Mundy, Justice Christine Donohue and former Justice Correale Stevens
“The court relies on a conclu-
sory assertion that public access
creates security risk, with no proof
offered,” she said.
A DIFFERENT
PLAYING FIELD
Ten years ago last month, then-
Gov. Ed Rendell signed a sweeping
overhaul to the Right to Know Law,
opening up far more records to
public scrutiny and establishing
the state Office of Open Records.
The changes also opened up
some of the General Assembly’s
records, albeit on a limited basis;
emails sent by lawmakers are still
not available, unlike those sent by
members of the executive branch.
When it comes to judicial agen-
cies, though, the law allows the
court system to comply with Right
to Know provisions — or use a
court system rule to provide equal
or greater access.
While rewriting the law in 2007,
legislators opted not to broaden
the applicability of the law to the
judiciary out of concerns over the
separation of powers and a fear
that the act might be overturned by
the high court, say officials directly
involved in passage of the bill.
Melewsky said the courts oper-
ate under their own public-records
policy. The courts use Rule 509, a
rule that was initiated in May 2007
and updated several times since,
instead of the Right to Know Law,
she said.
The rule establishes the avail-
ability of financial records but
provides for redaction of private
personal information and a catch-
all exemption covering personal
security or the “fair, impartial and
orderly administration of justice.”
When state or local agencies
deny requests, the state Office of
Open Records handles appeals.
But with the courts, the appeals
process and procedure “is nowhere
near as clear,” Melewsky said.
Appeals of court records are
handled through an administra-
tive level appeal by the court’s own
COVER STORY
personnel. In other words, the
court agency that denies a request
also rules on any appeal of its own
decision.
HIGH ON THE HOG
The Caucus filed a Rule 509
request in December with the Ad-
ministrative Office of Pennsylvania
Courts seeking expenses for all Su-
preme Court justices from January
2015 through June 2017, including
receipts for travel, meals and other
expenditures. Two weeks after the
newspaper submitted its request,
the court system responded and
said it would provide records by
Feb. 5. On Feb. 5, the newspaper
received an invoice for the records
totaling $193.20.
This newspaper paid the fee
and received hundreds of pages of
justices’ receipts.
The receipts covered expenses
ranging from car repairs and
insurance, snacks, meals, hotel,
and airfare. While the receipts
showed the total costs of those
purchases, many receipts for meals
were redacted to delete the names,
addresses and phone numbers of
restaurants and hotels where the
justices dined or stayed.
“Clever, isn’t it?” asked Rep.
Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon Coun-
ty. “That seems to be skirting the
spirit of the law. If you’re going to
redact part of the receipt, then the
public isn’t going to know what
you’re doing.
The point of both the open
records law and the court rule,
Diamond said, is “to let the public
know what they are doing with
their money and if they are living
high off the hog.”
Tim Potts, a former Democratic
House staffer who was active as a
reformer with Diamond a decade
ago, said that providing the names
of hotels, whether they are four-
star hotels with thick towels or
economy hotels devoid of perks, “is
just a matter of basic transparency.
These are public officials.”
“We know when public officials
don’t disclose what they’re spend-
ing, it creates problems with the
public and for themselves,” said
Potts.
Such a practice is not uncom-
mon in state government, though.
The General Assembly, for ex-
ample, allows most lawmakers to
collect $179 in unaccountable per
diems for food and lodging when
they are in session. Lawmakers are
not required to provide receipts for
those per diems.
The state court system redacted
large swaths of detail about where
the justices spent money, but it
Max
still allowed some ordinary meal Baer
expenses to be made public. For
example, the documents turned
over by the court system show
Justice Max Baer regularly bought
pizza for himself and staff prior to
court sessions.
And the details of some restau-
rants — Bob Evans and Wendy’s,
to name two — were not redacted,
either.
The debate over spending in the
judicial branch goes back more than
a decade. Both Potts and Diamond
Sallie Updyke
were outspoken against the Legis- Mundy
lature’s 2005 middle-of-the-night
pay-raise of 16 to 34 percent, which
was passed without public debate.
Voter outrage forced lawmakers
to rescind the pay hike. But the Su-
preme Court later upheld the law
for judges. Two justices were on
the ballot in November 2005 and
they were blamed by activists for
helping to foment the climate of
secrecy surrounding the pay raise.
Justice Russell Nigro was de-
feated. And Justice Sandra Schultz
Kevin
Newman only narrowly won reten- Dougherty
tion, even though justices seek-
ing to preserve their place on the
bench every 10 years, as required,
rarely come close to being de-
feated.
PRETZEL NIBBLERS
Sometimes it’s the small ex-
penses that most anger the public,
Diamond said.
CONT., page 8
Christine
Donohue
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 THE CAUCUS 7

Secrecy
in court
expenses
RULE 509, WHICH GOV-
erns the release of the state
Supreme Court records,
provides that “financial re-
cords of the Unified Judicial
System are presumed to
be open to any member of
the public for inspection or
copying during established
business hours.”
The policy defines
“financial records” as “any
account, contract, invoice or
equivalent dealing with: 1)
the receipt or disbursement
of funds appropriated to
the system; or 2) acquisi-
tion, use or disposal of
services, supplies, materi-
als, equipment or property
secured through funds ap-
propriated to the system.”
But not all records are
fully open for access.
Some records can be
redacted to conceal private
personal information, such
as bank account numbers.
The rule also the state court
administrator to redact “any
part of a record setting
forth information present-
ing a risk to personal secu-
rity, personal privacy, or the
fair, impartial and orderly
administration of justice.”
Receipts from left: Justice Sallie Mundy and former Justice Michael Eakin.
8 T H E C A U C U S Tuesday, March 13, 2018
COVER STORY
Continued from page 7
In the case of the courts, that anger
may be fueled by the fact that judges
are paid well and can afford to pay for
their own food.
The chief justice’s salary is
$212,051, according to the AOPC. The
other justices are paid $206,054. On
top of their salaries, justices also get
health care benefits, pensions, and
other perks, such as state-paid leased
cars.
Despite their level of pay, the
justices have been known to run up
large tabs and charge taxpayers. The
Supreme Court budgets $118,000 for
such expenses.
Nigro, for example, had charged
taxpayers for 115 meals, some cost-
ing more than $400, the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review reported in 2005. He
submitted a $318 bill for dinner the
night before voters ousted him from
office.
The justices had traveled to con-
ferences in Alaska, Puerto Rico and
South Carolina. But it was an $85
bottle of wine Nigro purchased with
taxpayer money that seemed to fuel
public outrage at that time, Diamond
recalls.
More recently, Superior Court
President Judge Emeritus Correale
Stevens, who was appointed to fill
a vacancy on the Supreme Court in
2013, charged $27 for “French toast”
in April 2015. According to Stevens,
the charge was actually for a buffet at a
Philadelphia hotel, despite the receipt
only saying French toast. “I wouldn’t
pay that much for French toast,” he
said.
Stevens is now a senior judge. In
March 2016, Justice David Wecht
charged $11.17 for an 18.8 ounce
frozen yogurt in Philadelphia, records
show.
Wecht also charged $3.58 for two
“SRDGH NBBLR PRTZL” items at
a Sunoco in Newburg in September
2016. A hand-written note on the re-
ceipt says “Per Justice Wecht Food on
way home from argument session.”
Witalec, the court system
spokeswoman, said Wecht’s
two purchases were in lieu
of full meals while engaged
in official court business.
Justice Kevin Dougherty in April
2016 submitted a receipt for a res-
taurant with the name, address and
phone number redacted. A partial
name at the bottom of the receipt
stated, “Thank you for dining with us
at [REDACTED] ports raw bar!!”
The menu items purchased in-
cluded a $7 taco platter, $16 chicken
Chesapeake, and 10 wings for $8.95.
Dougherty could not be reached
for comment, but Witalec said the to-
tal number of diners was four. Dough-
erty was joined by staff and judges, she
said.
Todd purchased a $220 “speaker’s
gift” from the Macy’s department
store at the Ross Park Mall in Pitts-
burgh in October 2016. The gift was
for a lecturer at a Violet Oakley event
at the Capitol also broadcast by the
Pennsylvania Cable Network. Oakley
illustrated murals in the Capitol in the
early 1990s.
Todd could not be reached for
comment.
Justice Michael Eakin received
$659 toward automobile expenses
including a lease, insurance and gas,
the same month he was suspended by
the Court of Judicial Discipline for
exchanging offensive emails in 2015.
Records show Eakin submitted a bill
for his AAA membership fee, in the
amount of $53, that same month, too.
Eakin could not be reached for
comment.
Grove, the York County lawmaker,
isn’t sympathetic to what he sees as
court excess. “They kept the pay raise
so they have the automatic COLA and
a higher base of salary every single
year,” Grove said. “They’re billing
taxpayers for their AAA membership,
their car lease, their insurance, their
gasoline on their vehicle.” Top, Ju
David stice Kevin D
Wecht oughe
rty; a
bove J
ustice
 COMMENTARY

The sun rises on the Capitol.

THINKSTOCK | BKAMPRATH

LET THE SUN SHINE IN

The Legislature must remove the barriers that still
block citizen access to basic governmental information
» » MARK COHEN

T
ruth. Facts. Transparency.
These are simple words that shine even more brightly as
we celebrate Sunshine Week.
This appropriately named week, organized 13 years ago
by The American Society of Newspaper
Editors and the Reporters Committee
for Freedom of the Press, helps all of us
realize the importance of what freedom
of information truly means.
Information belongs in the hands of
the people, and officials of government
should never shield the public from this
constitutional right.
Making informed decisions and
reporting real news starts with receiving
the information that we are all entitled
to, and this circle can only be completed
when government entities comply.
THE RIGHT OF EVERY CITIZEN
The Sunshine Act and Right to Know
Law are Pennsylvania’s primary public
access laws. These laws guarantee the
public’s right to access government
information at public meetings and
through public records. Public access to
meetings and records is fundamental to
the public’s ability to understand gov-
ernment actions and hold government
officials accountable.
Citizens, trained professional jour-
nalists and other interested parties use
this information to discern fact from
fiction.
However, the collection of informa-
tion is arduous, and entities who pur-
posely shelter information to position
or protect a certain agenda are impeding
the process.
Releasing cloudy and incomplete
information is both deceptive and
dangerous to us all. Unobstructed ac-
cess to public information is vital to our
democracy.
BEDROCK OF DEMOCRACY
On behalf of newspapers across the
state, The Pennsylvania NewsMedia
Association — of which The Caucus is a
member — is working with the Legisla-
ture to remove the unnecessary barriers
that continue to block citizens’ access to
basic information from government.
We are also advocating for public
agencies to record executive sessions,
for requiring agencies to provide
agendas in advance of meetings — so
the public can attend and participate
in issues that matter to them — and for
keeping public notices in newspapers so
Pennsylvanians know what’s going on
in their communities and are afforded
the chance to participate in a decision
before it happens.
The watchdog role of newspapers,
including The Caucus, makes them ide-
ally suited to ensure that public notices
are kept in safe hands.
We observe Sunshine Week at this
newspaper and celebrate why freedom
of information through an open govern-
ment is a bedrock of democracy.
We cannot do our jobs if we are ham-
strung by those who keep information
from us, parcel it out or stop the flow
altogether. We cannot do this alone and
must be unencumbered so that the truth
shines brightly.
Welcome to Sunshine Week.
Come outside and celebrate with us.
Mark Cohen is a former publisher of
the Akron Beacon Journal in Ohio and
a veteran of the newspaper industry. He
serves as president of the Pennsylvania
NewsMedia Association.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 THE CAUCUS 9

 THE INTERVIEW

Rep. Seth Grove, R-York,

speaks at a policy com-
mittee hearing in Fayette
County on waste, fraud and
abuse in the welfare system.

ACCIDENTAL LEGISLATOR
REP. SETH GROVE

Seth Grove had his heart set on the Navy, not the House of Representatives

R
» » BRAD BUMSTED

ep. Seth Grove, R-York, didn’t set out to become a legis- were elected, it’s easier to do a map now crats) except (Justice Max) Baer. Baer
because they are not there. I mean, gen- is the only one that didn’t go along with
lator. His lifelong dream was to serve in the military. He
erally you don’t move incumbents out of the unconstitutional ruling that they
enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was selected for the nucle- an area. So you try to keep them in their would create a map. The Constitution
ar engineering program and submarine school. district and where they live. is pretty clear on that. It is reserved to
the state legislatures to make that. Now,
But a heart condition kept him from THE CAUCUS: What have your voters THE CAUCUS: With so many people we could give out that power. We could
serving. been saying about the state Supreme retiring? create a commission and give up that
While attending classes at York Col- Court’s actions on the congressional GROVE: Yeah, and now it’s getting power, but that is an initiative of the
lege, he met then-Sen. Ralph Hess and maps? easier because they’re all gone, so con- General Assembly.
caught the politics bug. He interned GROVE: Oh, they are ticked. York be- ceivably it’s easier. You don’t have those
with Rep. Stan Saylor and continued to ing split, they are livid. Going back as kind of geographic problems of where THE CAUCUS: Does your district tend
work as a legislative staffer after gradu- far as I can remember, York has never people live. to be Trump supporters?
ating with a degree in public administra- been split. One time York and Lancaster GROVE: Oh, big time. Yeah. Yorkers are
tion. County were merged. We were one THE CAUCUS: Do you believe im- very frugal. We always get associated
He continues to work with Saylor, county, and then York split off. We’re peachment proceedings should be initi- with Lancaster. The difference between
now as a member of the House Appro- talking 1700s. Way back in the day. ... ated against the justices given that they Lancaster and York: York gambles and
priations Committee. Grove says he You look at power grabs. So you have issued an opinion only two days before we drink in the open; Lancaster does it
is focused on saving money wherever Lancaster controlling southern York the map deadline they imposed on the behind closed doors. Both frugal, both
possible and revels in scrutinizing state County, because Lancaster is going to Legislature? conservative, maybe we’re just more jolly.
spending. be the dominant area in there and then GROVE: Look at (Justice David) Wecht
even the northern part of York County, ... his comments leading up to that. THE CAUCUS: Lancaster city is Demo-
THE CAUCUS: What do you see as your Dauphin and Cumberland, someone When you go into the League of Women cratic like the city of York.
primary purpose in Harrisburg? What is from there could take out of those areas. Voters and say, “If we are elected, we’re GROVE: Yes, very similar, both border
it that you were sent here by your voters So, you kind of lose your political domi- going to do this,” you’ve already predis- counties. We have (Route) 83 go-
to do? nance of having a congressional seat. positioned yourself into a court case, ing through us so we are a little more
GROVE: My voters say, “Watch the which judges aren’t supposed to do. transient, a little more connected with
taxpayers’ dollars, every penny. Make THE CAUCUS: Do you think now They are supposed to be the blind lady, Baltimore, that kind of stuff. Very, very
sure it’s spent efficiently and effectively. that the 2012 Republican plan that was take the merits of the case and move similar. Bob Ehrlich, former (Maryland)
Don’t go after our wallets all the time.” passed was a bit of an overreach in terms forward. governor — his mother lives in southern
I have a pretty good Second Amend- of the gerrymandering that did occur? York County. We have an Amish market
ment constituency, so “Protect our Bill GROVE: I think we could always do THE CAUCUS: So at least you feel off of the Shrewsbury exit. He took her
of Rights under the law.” And generally it better, no matter what it is. We can you’d start with Wecht, but what about there and he was not expecting anyone
they are pretty happy with it. always do it better. At that time, if you the other justices? to recognize him and of course everyone
look at the congressional members who GROVE: I’d look at all of them (Demo- recognized him. There’s a ton

10 T H E C A U C U S Tuesday, March 13, 2018


of Baltimore commuters. Even down to
D.C. The guy I bought my house from
was a law-enforcement officer from the
Pentagon.
THE CAUCUS: With that sort of man-
date from your voters about watching
every dollar and how it is spent, what
have you found out recently that you
think they need to know about that is
wasteful or problematic in state govern-
ment?
GROVE: I think the big problem in state
government is our lack of oversight. My
frustration is kind of my constituents’
frustration. We spend an inordinate
amount of time every budget year trying
to find revenue. “What is the revenue
package? What is the tax package?”
Everybody talks about it. The news
media talks about it. The papers talk
about it. Every article is “What is the
revenue package?” and we always miss
the spending side. How are programs
operating? I think if we had a better
focus throughout the entire two-year
session on programs and what we are
spending — oversight — you wouldn’t
need such reliance on the tax side of it
and trying to find new revenue every
single year. I see the amount of staff
time and leadership time and all of these
people focused on trying to find the next
revenue source.
THE CAUCUS: February through July
at least, right?
GROVE: Yes, instead of pulling back
and doing math and saying, “What are
we spending money on?” I get frustrated
coming in here and you pulling out
receipts on what we are spending money
on — and we don’t do it. ... You have two
people in here (at The Caucus) doing
more financial scrutiny than the most
costly General Assembly in the entire
United States. I mean, that’s my frustra-
tion. Where is that research?
We are in budget season right now
and doing budget hearings. Why is that
only reserved for a three-week period?
We never do the governor’s budget
anyway. Republican or Democrat — it
doesn’t matter who is in control — it
ends up getting negotiated anyway. Why
don’t we do constant hearings and con-
stant oversight and bring these agencies
in? It’s boring and mundane work, but
it is the most important thing you can
do because you keep the bureaucracy
honest and you have a better idea of how
taxpayer dollars are being spent.
THE CAUCUS: Last year you were in
the forefront of this as a Senate package
had come out seeking new revenue and a
number of people in your caucus saying,
“Oh my gosh, there are all these millions
of dollars of unspent funds!” Are there
still and have you looked at that in terms
of the next budget and what is still out
there?
GROVE: Yes, I think we are still always
going to be focused on, I would say,
breaking the status quo of Harrisburg
and trying to find those pockets of dol-
lars. I think my big focus this year is
getting those special funds back into the
budget process so they are more trans-
parent and more accountable moving
forward. A lot of them used to be line
items and this is how they were created.
Basically you would have, at the end of
the day, a group of Republican legislative
conservatives who want a taper budget
saying, “We want to have a spending cap.
We don’t want to spend over X amount
of dollars inflationary costs.” So, leader-
THE INTERVIEW
ship would come back and say, “Okay,
we are going to give you that,” and what
they would do is shift certain line items
to special funds so that your general
fund, what you vote on, is lower. They
are spending more, but it appears it is
lower because they are moving these
things offline.
THE CAUCUS: They’ve been doing that
for years.
GROVE: Yes, and no one caught onto
it until we saw the growth of these line
items. I applaud (Treasurer) Joe Torsella
for actually providing more transparency.
And it goes to show you that the more
transparent the government, the better
decisions we are making. I have said this
many times. We may need a $1 trillion
tax increase, but until you verify the
spending and have an accurate financial
picture, there is no way I am going to sit
back and say we without a doubt need it.
Governor Wolf’s first budget had a
$12.8 million tax increase over two fiscal
years when it is fully implemented. He
is saying that we need taxes to fix this
structural deficit, but we haven’t done
any massive tax increases, only little
stuff here and there. But this year he
came out and said the structural deficit
is no more. “We fixed it through the stuff
we did.” So you go from needing massive
tax increases to “We fixed it.”
We did the Taxpayers Report two
years ago showing $3 billion worth of
cost savings, and the administration
said, “That is baloney. That is not real.”
The next year they say, “Hey, we have $2
billion.” How unreal was $3 billion? It is
a very status-quo process just to come
back and say we need more revenue
without looking at what we are spending
money on.
THE CAUCUS: You were here under
Gov. Ed Rendell, right?
GROVE: I came in at the very, very end
of that last horrible budget.
THE CAUCUS: Throughout his second
term he used to constantly talk about
$2 billion in savings. He said the news
media wouldn’t write about it. So finally
towards the very end, in the last week, I
finally asked him. “That $2 billion, you
took that and spent it on something else,
right?” He said, “Yeah.”
GROVE: I had a back-and-forth with
Secretary Topper. I think it was him in
maybe Wolf’s first or second year. I love
saving taxpayers’ dollars. The whole
GO-TIME initiative, I’m all about it.
But then I go and ask, “Where did you
actually save this money? Give me an
example of what you saved?”
He said, “Well, we had this procure-
ment for salt. We saved $10 million to
PennDOT, but it’s not my money. It’s
PennDOT’s money.”
So I said, “Well what did they do with
the $10 million?”
He said, “Oh, they spent it on some-
thing else.”
So I said “Oh, so you didn’t save any-
thing?”
“No, no. We saved $10 million.”
“Yeah, but you spent it, so you didn’t
save it. So there is no savings. It is zero.”
I said, “Let me give you an example.
I walk into a store and I want to buy a
hammer. They have a 50-percent-off
sale. I have $10 and the hammer is $10. I
buy the hammer and it’s only $5 dol-
lars. I have $5 dollars left in my pocket. I
saved $5 dollars. I still have my money.”
I said, “Do you still have your $10
million right now?”
So I look at their GO-TIME initiative
and a lot of these projects they spend a
lot more than what they save. But the
argument is, “We need to spend money
to save money.”
In some cases, maybe. But are you
saving less than what you’re spending
initially? That’s why (Rep.) Rick Sac-
cone introduced a bill that says savings
go back into a restricted account. If you
save money, it gets clawed back into a
restricted account and then at the end of
the day we can re-prioritize that money
to things we need.
But right now — and I don’t know
why the legislative branch allows this —
all of the savings, we allow the adminis-
tration to spend as they see fit. As long as
it’s inline with that appropriation, they
can spend it on whatever they want for
their priorities.
THE CAUCUS: Has Saccone’s bill
moved?
GROVE: No, it’s still sitting in the com-
mittee.
THE CAUCUS: I would think the ma-
jority would want that.
GROVE: It’s common sense. There are
a lot of common-sense bills that just sit
there that would do a lot to help fix the
financial structure or at least provide
some accountability and at least provide
some transparency moving forward.
THE CAUCUS: Do you expect, like
most people, that we are going to have a
relatively peaceful budget that gets done
on time?
GROVE: My greatest fears are that we
are going to have an election-year bud-
get like two years ago — jack up spend-
ing, hand out money to everyone and
not really pay for it, which is going to
cause a huge shortfall next year on top of
federal reimbursements dropping by 5
percent, the expansion of the Medicaid
population, which is a huge cost.
You have all of these costs being due
next year, and the way our budget works
we have delayed payments because obvi-
ously the budget delays payments and
stuff like that.
You don’t get a lot of savings due to
welfare reform in year one. The big stuff
comes year two because of how they de-
lay payments. So if you don’t get policy
changes to curb some of these expenses
this year, you will really be stuck next
year.
THE CAUCUS: But that is sort of what
people do, right?
GROVE: Yes, it’s easier to wait. It is
easier not to do anything than to do
anything. More and more of my frustra-
tion from not tackling issues before they
become too big and too apparent. You
can usually see it. If you’re just sitting
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
REP. SETH GROVE
there and you’re really paying attention,
you see it coming down the track and
you talk about it and talk about it and
talk about it and everyone says, “We can
handle it later.” Then you have a crisis
of everything landing at one time. Then
they decide to just raise taxes instead of
fixing it where you don’t need to go back
to the taxpayer and ask for more. Delay,
delay, delay, boom.
THE CAUCUS: What is your back-
ground?
GROVE: Legislative staffer. Interest-
ingly, I never wanted to do this. I wanted
to enlist in the Navy and get into their
nuclear engineering program. I had
open-heart surgery when I was in sev-
enth grade. I still had stress hyperten-
sion coming out of high school, so my
dreams were crushed. I ended up going
to York College. My parents were like,
“Just go to York College and we’ll cover
the first two years.” They recognized
that I really wanted to go into the mili-
tary. But I ended up going to York. They
said if I didn’t like it I could transfer out.
Do you remember state Senator
Ralph Hess? I had him for State and
Local Government my freshman year.
For extra credit he sent students to
political fundraisers. So I ended up at
Stan Saylor’s pig roast in Winterstown.
I ended up getting an internship with
Stan and Stan ended up keeping me. So
I was working like 30 hours or actually
closer to 40 hours my last three years of
York College, and then I worked for Stan
for a year after that. My foray in want-
ing to run was because I became tired
of picking up the phone in the district
office and hearing the same damn issues
time and time again. “Can you finally fix
some of this stuff?”
THE CAUCUS: When you’re not
working on legislation, what do you do?
Spend time with your kids?
GROVE: Yes. Kiddie taxi cab to sporting
events. That’s basically it. We are expect-
ing number three shortly. A little girl.
THE CAUCUS: How old are your oth-
ers?
GROVE: Eight and five. With my second
child, my wife was diagnosed with can-
cer. She had stage three breast cancer
diagnosed June 17. They induced her
and Connor was born June 18, on a Fri-
day. That following Monday she was in
having a PET scan, and two weeks later
she was doing chemo.
THE CAUCUS: So between that and
your childhood heart experiences, you
know a little bit about medical crises.
GROVE: Yes. So we’re having a little
girl. We don’t have a name picked out
yet. I suggested Trump Tax Cuts but my
wife wasn’t in agreement.
T H E C A U C U S 11
 COMMENTARY

THE LEAST
WORST OUTCOME
Why the special election for southwestern Pennsylvania’s seat in
Congress is likely nothing but bad news for Trump and the GOP
» » G. TERRY MADONNA & MICHAEL L. YOUNG

A
congressional district that no longer exists.
Two opponents who will never face each other again.
A race that has little or no direct influence on the bal-
ance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.
That was the state of affairs in what
used to be the 18th Congressional
District, where, you may have heard,
there’s been an unexpectedly close
race.
Given all those factors, why was
much of the nation’s political estab-
lishment watching the battle between
Republican Rick Saccone and Democrat
Conor Lamb as if it were a presidential
race?
CANARY IN THE COAL MINE
This first contest of the 2018 mid-
terms drew an enormous amount of at-
tention — more national coverage than
any congressional election in modern
Pennsylvania history.
So what’s all the fuss about this
district, which was once represented by
John Heinz and Rick Santorum and is
scheduled to disappear by Pennsylva-
nia’s May 15th primary?
The fuss is that both Republicans
and Democrats saw this race as a refer-
endum on President Donald Trump and
his policies — a referendum in a district
Trump won by 20 percentage points in
2016 and the last Republican incumbent
didn’t even have an opponent.
At stake was not whether Democrats
would win control of the House, but
whether this race presages a giant Dem-
ocratic electoral wave that will sweep
Republicans from power in November’s
midterms.
FROM ‘CAN’T LOSE’ TO TOSSUP
It didn’t start out this way, this close.
At the outset, the race looked like a
sure thing for Republicans. The former
congressman, Republican Tim Murphy,
had been elected to eight consecutive
terms, the last two times without an op-
ponent.
But expectations of a once-comfort-
able GOP victory morphed into a fierce
electoral battle that many saw as too
close to call in the final days leading up
to Tuesday’s election.
How did a “can’t lose” turn into a
panicked “must win” for Republicans?
Two factors led to the tightening of
the race, and explain why Lamb ap-
peared to be ready to pull off the impos-
sible: the candidate himself, and the
type of campaign he ran.
PRO-LIFE, PRO-GUN DEMOCRAT
Beginning in the 1990s, voters in the
southwestern part of Pennsylvania be-
gan to defect from national Democrats
and their increasingly culturally liberal
agenda. And if Democrats had run their
traditional urban, liberal candidate, this
race would have ended early.
But instead, Democrats ran a charis-
matic, youthful candidate with the per-
fect resume for the district. Some even
likened him to the legendary western
Pennsylvania politician John Heinz —
sans Heinz’s huge fortune.
Lamb is a Marine and prosecutor
whose position on contemporary issues
knit a near-perfect fit with voters. He
presented himself as a moderate who
is anti-abortion, pro-gun and reliably
pro-union.
He has been outspoken about beefing
up the nation’s military while placing a
major focus on the war against opioid
addiction, something that has afflicted
southwestern Pennsylvania far more
than nationally.
He also makes no secrets about his
patriotism and his religion; he’s Catho-
lic.
CAMPAIGN MOMENTUM
Democrats found a method to ener-
gize voters not seen in a generation: a
genuine grassroots campaign featuring
the candidate himself ringing doorbells
and posting yard signs, augmented by a
small army of volunteers the campaign
said had reached some 100,000 voters.
His opponent, meantime, eschewed
Lamb’s brand of retail politics and
mostly ran a conventional campaign,
doing staged events and relying on mass
media.
Lamb did not ignore fundraising,
but spending by outside groups and
Republican political-action committees
favored Saccone by about seven to one.
Lamb’s campaign raised about five
times as much as Saccone’s, giving the
Democrat about half a million dollars
more on hand in the race’s final days.
WAS TRUMP REALLY A FACTOR?
The subtext in the race was, of
course, Trump. His brand would suffer
even if the Republican won and the out-
come was close — but especially if there
was a Democratic victory, analysts said.
Trump’s approval rating was still
above water in the district; 51 percent
sided with the president there in the
final days of the campaign.
So it wasn’t clear how much the race
was actually a referendum on him or
just a matter of voters choosing between
two distinct candidates — one with an
energetic army of supporters, the other
running a stolid but unimaginative
campaign.
Republicans were very nervous.
Some suggested that Trump’s surprise
announcement imposing steep new
steel tariffs was linked to his party’s con-
cern about the race. The President was
expected to visit the district in the final
days of the race, too.
Make no mistake: This district
should not have even been in play.
Whether it’s a loss or a narrow victo-
ry for the Republicans, the party’s hopes
for momentum going into the midterms
appear dim.
The likely outcomes were only bad
(the narrow victory) and worse (a loss).
And it is never good when bad is the
best one can do.
G. Terry Madonna is a professor of
public affairs at Franklin & Marshall
College in Lancaster. Michael L. Young is
a former professor of politics and public
affairs at Penn State University and man-
aging partner of Michael Young Strategic
Research. Madonna and Young encour-
age responses to the column and can be
reached, respectively, at terry.madonna@
fandm.edu and drmikelyoung@comcast.
net.

12 T H E C A U C U S Tuesday, March 13, 2018

 CAPITOL DISPATCHES

7:30 A.M., MARCH 13 Harrisburg Hilton

FUNDRAISERS McGrath’s Pub 8 A.M., MARCH 14 Brandywine Prime 11 A.M., MARCH 21
RECEPTION FOR REP. Harrisburg Harrisburg RECEPTION FOR Chadds Ford RECEPTION FOR
PATTY KIM $250 to $2,500 $250 to $1,000 REP. DAVE ZIMMERMAN $150 to $500 SEN. MIKE REGAN
Harrisburg Hilton Carley’s Ristorante Rubicon
8 A.M., MARCH 13 5:30 P.M., MARCH 13 8 A.M., MARCH 20
Harrisburg Harrisburg
RECEPTION FOR REP. ST. PATRICK’S DAY EXTRAVA- RECEPTION FOR SEN. Harrisburg
$500 to $2,500 $250 to $500
BRIAN KIRKLAND GANZA WITH REP. SUE HELM CAMERA BARTOLOTTA $500 to $2,500
8 A.M., MARCH 13 Stock’s on 2nd Country Club of Harrisburg 5:30 P.M., MARCH 14 Home 231
RECEPTION FOR REP. Harrisburg Harrisburg RECEPTION FOR Harrisburg 11:30 A.M., MARCH 26
BRYAN BARBIN $350 SEN. RYAN AUMENT $500 to $1,000 RECEPTION FOR
8 A.M., MARCH 13
Harrisburg Hilton Rubicon SEN. JUDY SCHWANK
RECEPTION FOR REP. 7:30 A.M., MARCH 14 11:30 A.M., MARCH 20
Harrisburg Harrisburg Rubicon
CAROLYN COMITTA RECEPTION FOR LUNCHEON FOR
$250 to $2,500 $500 to $3,000 Harrisburg
Carley’s Ristorante REP. MATT GABLER SEN. MICHELE BROOKS
8 A.M., MARCH 13 Harrisburg 500 N. 3rd St. 5:30 P.M., MARCH 15 Rubicon $300 to $1,000
RECEPTION FOR REP. 8 A.M., MARCH 13 Harrisburg RECEPTION FOR SEN. Harrisburg
11:30 A.M., MARCH 26
AARON BERNSTINE RECEPTION FOR REP. $250 to $500 CHRISTINE TARTAGLIONE $500
Café Fresco The Pyramid Club RECEPTION FOR
JAMES ROEBUCK 8 A.M., MARCH 14 1 2 P. M . , M A R C H 2 0
Harrisburg Philadelphia SEN. SCOTT MARTIN
Harrisburg Hilton RECEPTION FOR RECEPTION FOR
$250 to $500 Harrisburg $500 to $5,000 Firehouse Restaurant
REP. JORDAN HARRIS GOV. TOM WOLF
Harrisburg
8 A.M., MARCH 13 8 A.M., MARCH 13 Café Fresco 11:30 A.M., MARCH 19 Hershey Country Club
$500 to $1,000
RECEPTION FOR RECEPTION FOR REP. MIKE Harrisburg LUNCHEON FOR Hershey
REP. MIKE CARROLL SCHLOSSBERG $300 to $1,000 SEN. PAT STEFANO $500 to $1,000 5 P. M . , M A R C H 2 6
Harrisburg Hilton McGrath’s Pub Firehouse Restaurant
8 A.M., MARCH 14 6 P. M . , M A R C H 2 0 RECEPTION FOR
Harrisburg Harrisburg Harrisburg
RECEPTION FOR REP. RECEPTION FOR SEN. RICH ALLOWAY
$300 to $1,000 $250 to $1,000 $500 to $1,000
DAVE MILLARD SEN. JAKE CORMAN Federal Taphouse
8 A.M., MARCH 13 5 : 3 0 P. M . , M A R C H 1 3 Stock’s on Second 5:30 P.M., MARCH 19 Level 2 Harrisburg
RECEPTION FOR RECEPTION FOR Harrisburg RECEPTION FOR Harrisburg $1,000 to $5,000
REP. JIM MARSHALL REP. PETER SCHWEYER $350 to $1,000 REP. FRANK DERMODY $1,000 to $2,500
500 N. 3rd St. The Sturges Speakeasy Suba Tapas 8 A.M., MARCH 28
8 A.M., MARCH 14 8 A.M., MARCH 21
Harrisburg Harrisburg Harrisburg RECEPTION FOR
RECEPTION FOR REP. RECEPTION FOR
$250 to $1,000 $250 to $1,000 $1,000 to $10,000 SEN. ELDER VOGEL JR.
HARRY READSHAW SEN. WAYNE LANGERHOLC
8 A.M., MARCH 13 5:30 P.M., MARCH 13 Harrisburg Hilton 6:30 P.M., MARCH 19 Harrisburg Hilton Harrisburg Hilton
RECEPTION FOR REP. RECEPTION FOR Harrisburg RECEPTION FOR Harrisburg Harrisburg
EMILIO VAZQUEZ REP. JUSTIN SIMMONS $500 to $2,500 REP. STEPHEN BARRAR $500 $500 to $1,000

HEARINGS
9 A.M., MARCH 13
HOUSE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Room G50, Irvis Office Building
Voting meeting on H.B. 209 from Rep.
Kristin Hill, which would establish the In-
dependent Office of the Repealer to review
Pennsylvania’s statutes and regulations;
H.B. 638 from Rep. Justin Simmons, which
would remove the ability of candidates for
school board to cross-file nomination peti-
tions; H.B. 1531 from Rep. Jim Christiana,
which would require agencies to make
meeting agendas — including a list of each
matter of business that will be the subject
of official action or deliberation — avail-
able to the public prior to all public meet-
ings require the agenda to be posted at the
location of the meeting and on the agency’s
public website; H.B. 1792 from Rep. Kerry A.
Benninghoff, which would give the General
Assembly the ability to initiate the repeal
of any regulation in effect in Pennsylvania
by a concurrent resolution; H.B. 1849 from
Rep. Stephen Bloom, which would create
the Open Contracting Act barring the use of
project labor agreements on taxpayer-fund-
ed projects; H.B. 1959 from Rep. Greg Roth-
man, which would require agencies to post
information about the permits they grant on
their website to create an accessible track-
ing system for applicants to check the status
of their applications and to clearly state the
legal authority that the agency relies on
when rejecting a permit application.
9:30 A.M., MARCH 14
HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Room 140, Main Capitol
Voting meeting on H.B. 1887 from Rep.
R. Lee James, which would increases from
$1,000 to $2,000 the value of municipal
personal property below which a first class
township need not publicly advertise for
bids when selling its personal property;
H.B. 1888 from Rep. R. Lee James, which
would increases from $1,000 to $2,000 the
value of municipal personal property below
which a borough or third class city need
not publicly advertise for bids when selling
its personal property; H.B. 1889 from Rep.
R. Lee James, which would increases from
$1,000 to $2,000 the value of municipal
personal property below which an incorpo-
rated town need not publicly advertise for
bids when selling its personal property; H.B.
1890 from Rep. Warren Kampf, which would
authorize county commissioners, by resolu-
tion, to implement a Voluntary Real Estate
Sales Verification Form Pilot Program; H.B.
1990 from Rep. Kate Harper, which would
provide for the training and qualifications of
members of a board of assessment appeals/
revision and auxiliary appeal boards; and
H.B. 1991 from Rep. Kate Harper, which
would amend the Consolidated County
Assessment Law to facilitate the existing
statutory requirement that building permit
information be submitted to the county as-
sessment office to ensure accurate property
valuation and, consequently, more fairly
capture municipal property tax revenue.
9:30 A.M., MARCH 14
HOUSE PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE
COMMITTEE
Room G50, Irvis Office Building
Voting meeting on H.B. 1343 from Rep.
Harry Readshaw, which would allow profes-
sionals under the Bureau of Professional and
Occupations Affairs Act who are required
THE
to maintain continuing education to accrue
credits for biennial renewal; S.B. 530 from
Sen. Thomas H. Killion, which would update
WEEK
AHEAD
the Social Workers, Marriage and Family
Therapists and Professional Counselors Act
to amend the definition of the “practice of
clinical social work” to add the term “diag-
nosis” and require anyone practicing clinical 9 A.M., MARCH 13
social work independently to be licensed; and MUSIC EDUCATION
S.B. 892 from Sen. Guy Reschenthaler, which The Pennsylvania Music Educa-
would amend the Chiropractic Practice Act to tors Association holds a news con-
clarify that chiropractic interns and students ference to promote the importance
can receive clinical training and perform chi- of music education in schools.
ropractic activities under the supervision of a
licensee, instructor or supervisor.
10 A.M., MARCH 14
LEAD IN WATER
9 A.M., MARCH 15
East Wing Rotunda
HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Rep. Karen Boback holds a
Room 140, Main Capitol
news conference to seek support
Public hearing on school safety.
for legislation providing the testing
of drinking water for lead contami-
9:30 A.M., MARCH 19
nants.
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
AND THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE 10 A.M., MARCH 14
Hearing Room 1, North Office Building SAFE HARBOR
Joint public hearing to discuss criminal Capitol Rotunda
justice issues. A rally and news conference are
held in support of legislation that
10:30 A.M., MARCH 19 would decriminalize sex trafficking
SENATE HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES victims and to provide support and
COMMITTEE resources to victims.
Room 8E-B, East Wing
Public hearing to consider the nomina- 1 2 P. M . , M A R C H 1 6
tions and confirmations of Department of NO NEW GUN LAWS
Human Services Acting Secretary Teresa Front Capitol Steps
Miller, Department of Drug & Alcohol Pro- The group Pennsylvania Patriots
grams Acting Secretary Jennifer Smith, and United holds a rally in opposition to
Department of Health Acting Secretary any new gun laws and, in particular,
Rachel Levine. a ban on semiautomatic weapons.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 T H E C A U C U S 13


THIS WEEK IN PA HISTORY
2
Y E A R S AG O
Wolf hikes minimum pay
for some Pa. workers
GOV. TOM WOLF SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IN
March 2016 raising the minimum wage by nearly $3 an hour,
to $10.15, for state government employees and workers
on jobs contracted by the state. The move affected “a few
hundred state employees,” according to a report from The
Associated Press. They were mostly part-time clerical and
janitorial workers. Wolf said in an interview with LNP, the
newspaper for Lancaster County, that he hoped the move
would spur the state Legislature to consider raising the
state minimum wage to $10.15 an hour. According to the U.S.
Department of Labor, 29 states and the District of Columbia
had minimum wage rates higher than the federal minimum
of $7.25 an hour. Pennsylvania’s rate remains at $7.25. “Since
the beginning of my administration, I have made creating
good paying jobs, increasing efficiency, and achieving cost
savings in state government top priorities,” Wolf said. “An in-
crease in the minimum wage will achieve efficiency and cost
savings for state government, reduce state expenditures
on income support programs, and give valued employees a
well-deserved raise.” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman
called Wolf’s move a “symbolic executive action.”
8
Y E A R S AG O
Rendell: Cities could
profit from nonprofits
GOV. ED RENDELL HAD AN INTERESTING IDEA FOR HELP-
ing Pennsylvania’s cash-strapped cities: Start taxing some
nonprofits. In a March 2010 interview, he said cities should
push for a narrower definition of charities — one that would
exclude, say, hospitals, health care companies and universi-
ties. “We need to go back and redefine charities and give
the people who aren’t true charities like the Catholic church,
synagogues, food banks, things like that ... one criteria:
No one working for the nonprofit could earn more than
$99,000,” Rendell said. If they do have staffers who make
more than that, they would get taxed. “When I was mayor of
Philadelphia, my second year, the Supreme Court decided a
case in Erie where it redefined the meaning of charities and
charitable exemption of taxes,” Rendell said. “It made a much
tighter definition of charities. It meant that all the universities
would have to pay taxes. The health care and HMOs would
have to pay taxes. “It would have been a godsend ... .” The
Legislature, persuaded by lobbyists for those entities, later
passed a statute redefining charities by the old standard.
14 T H E C A U C U S Tuesday, March 13, 2018
POLITICAL HISTORY
4
Y E A R S AG O
Bill: Successful
universities should
secede from Pa. system
STATE SENS. ANDY DINNIMAN, D-CHESTER, AND ROBERT
Tomlinson, R-Bucks, were pushing legislation that would
have allowed state-owned schools to pull out of the Penn-
sylvania State System of Higher Education and, instead,
become state-related schools like Penn State. “This creates
opportunity for stronger relationships with local communi-
ties by increasing jobs, supporting economic development
and becoming more agile in responding to the needs of
their region. Most importantly, universities will remain
committed to their mission of providing a quality and af-
fordable education,” Tomlinson said. Critics said the move
would give the institutions greater flexibility but undermine
a system that educates 110,000 students — 90 percent of
whom are from Pennsylvania — and would put the cost
of a college education beyond the means of many. “This
legislation allows the universities to turn their backs on the
core mission of the State System of Higher Education and
the students it serves to provide access to a quality public
higher education to the average Pennsylvanian,” said Steve
Hicks, president of the Association of Pennsylvania State
College & University Faculties. “This legislation will funnel
taxpayer money to institutions that don’t have to answer to
the taxpayers. That may be politics as usual, but it is not in
the interests of our students or the commonwealth.”
10
Y E A R S AG O
Marriage amendment
gets 1st hearing
STATE SEN. MICHAEL W. BRUBAKER’S PROPOSED CONSTI-
tutional amendment defining marriage as being between
one man and one woman got its first hearing before law-
makers in mid-March 2008. And it was a lively one. A trio
of Brubaker’s fellow Senators raised questions about the
proposal — from its potential to cut off benefits to domestic
partners, to the ambiguity of the bill’s ban of “functional
equivalents” of marriage, to the likelihood such an amend-
ment will spawn legal challenges. “We’re handing this whole
thing to the courts to decide because this language is so
ambiguous,” said Sen. Mary Jo White, a Venango County
Republican and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage,
however, defended Brubaker’s bill, saying that the courts
would be forced to define marriage the first time a same-sex
couple seeks a marriage permit. “It’s not a fantasy that this
could happen. It is happening. It’s happening in New Jersey,
it’s happening in Connecticut. It’s happening all around us.”
Sen. Jane Earll, a Republican from Erie, challenged Galla-
gher in what was perhaps the morning’s most contentious
exchange. Earll opposed the proposed amendment.
6
Y E A R S AG O
Corbett signs
voter ID law
REPUBLICAN GOV. TOM CORBETT SIGNED ONE OF THE
nation’s toughest voter identification measures in mid-
March 2012, saying the requirement of a photo ID was a
preventive measure. “I believe we need to ensure that our
elections are fair,” Corbett said. Pennsylvania’s General
Assembly was among numerous Republican-controlled
legislatures pushing for photo ID laws ahead of the 2012
presidential election. Democrats called the law a thinly
veiled attempt to defeat President Barack Obama. “They
summoned images of civil rights-era battles such as the
1965 ‘Bloody Sunday’ march in Alabama,” AP reporter Marc
Levy reported, “to protest what they view as a throwback
to the now-unconstitutional poll taxes and literacy tests
designed to discriminate against poor and minority voters.”
Said Rep. Daniel Frankel, D-Allegheny: “We’re about to turn
back the pages of history to that era by imposing what is
a poll tax, among other obstacles, for the most vulnerable
people in our community that have the right today to vote,
and tomorrow, who knows?”
12
Y E A R S AG O
Brightbill: Stealth Dem
campaign out to get me
STATE SEN. DAVID “CHIP” BRIGHTBILL WAS DISCOUNTING
a March 2006, post-pay raise opinion poll that found
strong opposition to his re-election bid. The Republican
lawmaker said the poll was unreliable because it was com-
missioned by a supporter of his challenger, Mike Folmer,
in the Republican primary. It found just 23 percent of the
350 Republicans questioned believe Brightbill deserved
re-election. “Chip’s in trouble,” Folmer spokeswoman Laurel
Lynn Petolicchio said. “People are fed up with not being
represented in Harrisburg. We’re hearing it on the street,
and this poll confirmed that.” Brightbill, however, said the
poll did not give an accurate picture of the primary race. He
pointed out that none of the questions asked respondents
whom they would choose in a head-to-head matchup be-
tween Brightbill, the Senate’s majority leader, and Folmer.
“We don’t know if there was (a) head-on question, or did
he not want to release it?” Brightbill said. The senator also
slammed the poll’s sponsor, Bob Guzzardi, who donated
$10,000 to Folmer’s campaign. According to the Philadel-
phia Daily News, Guzzardi was the landlord and financial
supporter of a Philadelphia-based health club described
by the newspaper as “one of the city’s most gay-friendly
establishments.”
FROM LEFT Gov. Tom
Wolf, Sens. Robert Tom-
linson, Andy Dinniman,
former Gov. Tom Corbett,
former Gov. Ed Ren-
dell, former Sen. Mike
Brubaker, former state
Sen. David ‘Chip’
Brightbill.
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