News & Brews August 7, 2025
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Philly teachers’ union ready to strike
The Inquirer reports that the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which voted back in June to authorize a strike if a contract deal couldn’t be reached, is ready to follow through and go on strike at the close of this month. Let’s see, what are union leaders demanding? Is it an end to the district’s rampant antisemitism? Maybe sufficient restroom breaks for kids so they’re not forced to wear diapers to school? Or removing dangerous teachers from the classroom? Oh silly us. This is government union leaders we’re talking about. They aren’t lobbying for kids, but they are demanding paid parental leave, increased prep time, extra pay for “oversized classrooms,” and higher taxpayer-funded salary and benefits in general. This is as “the district is spending $300 million of its reserves just to pay bills and avoid classroom cuts and layoffs for the 2025-26 school year,” the Inquirer reports. And if they don’t get their demands? In the union’s words, “shut it down.”
Closing in on 40 days late with no budget in sight
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that with Pennsylvania’s budget impasse dragging on, state Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward “said lawmakers should consider adopting a six-month spending plan that maintains last year’s funding levels for many essential services while negotiations continue on thornier budgetary issues.” Senate Democrat Minority Leader Jay Costa, however, has no interest in such a plan, even as he admitted, “The frustrating part is that I don’t feel like we’re any closer (on a budget resolution) now than we were a month ago.”
House committee advances transit bill
Spotlight PA reports that the House Transportation Committee yesterday voted 16-10 to advance legislation that “would increase the amount of state sales tax revenue transferred to public transit by 1.75 percentage points, in line with previous pitches from Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and other members of his party.” The bill also includes proposals from Republican state Sen. Joe Picozzi of Philadelphia that would “add new accountability standards, including tracking large agencies’ enforcement of fare evasion. Failure to meet these standards could cost the agencies their state operating aid.”
‘Everyone pays’ for abuse of Pa. legal system
GOP state Rep. Torren Ecker (Adams and Cumberland counties) writes in the York Dispatch that “Pennsylvania’s legal system is facing a growing challenge from those who exploit it for personal or financial gain.” Ecker highlights, specifically, Pennsylvania’s recurring spot on the American Tort Reform Association’s list of “Judicial Hellholes.” “Pennsylvania’s legal climate is having real-world consequences,” he writes. “Businesses are rethinking whether to invest or expand here, citing unpredictable liability and the growing cost of litigation. Health care providers worry about increasing malpractice exposure. Average citizens are left footing the bill for a system weighed down by opportunistic lawsuits.”
Casey joins University of Scranton
Former U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. has joined the University of Scranton as the inaugural Leahy Distinguished Fellow in Public Service. The Times-Tribune reports that in this part-time role, Casey will “mentor students, advise on relevant initiatives and broadly contribute to university activities aligned with public service and leadership.” Casey served nearly 30 years in elected office, including three terms in the U.S. Senate, before losing re-election last year to Senator Dave McCormick.