News & Brews June 18, 2025
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Philly teachers’ union votes to authorize strike
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers voted yesterday to authorize a strike, the first time it’s done so since 2001. The vote comes after several months of contract negotiations (their current contract expires on August 31). The vote doesn’t mean that they’ll go on strike, only that they can. Among the unions’ contract demands: paid parental leave, extra pay for ‘oversize’ classes, and no more requirement to submit daily lesson plans.
Pa. House passes SEPTA bailout
Yesterday, the Pa. House voted 107-96 for Gov. Shapiro’s $292 million SEPTA bailout. Two Democrats—Reps. Frank Burns (Cambria County) and Tarah Probst (Monroe & Pike counties)—opposed the bill, while several Republicans (most of them from the Southeast) supported it. It now heads to the Senate. (If you want a refresher on why lawmakers shouldn’t be forcing taxpayers to bail out SEPTA, click here.)
Blue states once led on education—not anymore
Manhattan Institute Policy Analyst Neetu Arnold writes, “Not long ago, blue states typically outperformed red ones when it came to education. That is changing…. Republican-led state governments have implemented evidence-based reading curricula, banned ineffective teaching methods, and improved school safety. In contrast, Democrat-led states have undermined school discipline, reduced academic standards, and embraced policies that deemphasize achievement in favor of ideological goals.”
Senate leader talks budget ‘crisis’
In an interview yesterday with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pa. Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward “said Pennsylvania faces a budget crisis unlike any she has seen in 17 years as a lawmaker.” Overall, however, the story notes that “Ward said … It’s a crisis … not a fight.” One of the drivers is uncertainty over how the federal government may (or may not) aim to deal with Medicaid fraud and abuse by ensuring funding goes to individuals who are truly in need. “For Ms. Ward,” the Post-Gazette continues, “the talk about Medicaid comes down to the need to protect and help those who need it — ‘Nobody wants to hurt anybody that needs the program,’ she said — but also to making sure it is efficient. She supports federal efforts to ‘right-size’ Medicaid.”
Analyzing the McCormick/Casey election
We’re several months out from last year’s Election Day, but the progressive Pennsylvania Capital-Star has a new analysis of the McCormick/Casey U.S. Senate race. The story dives into regional vote tallies across the state and looks at some of the campaign strategies of each candidate.