Pennsylvania Catholic Conference » Catholic education

Say thanks to EITC supporters

AB_Hill — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:34:45 +0000

The highly successful Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program was cut by $15 million last year and was scheduled to be cut another $10 million this year; but thanks to the leadership and support of many state lawmakers, EITC will be funded at the same level as last year – $60 million. Better still, the share that funds scholarships for students in nonpublic schools was increased more than $2 million to $40 million.

EITC provides a tax credit to businesses that contribute to organizations that give scholarships to students to attend the school of their choice. Many Catholic school students benefit from EITC scholarships. If your state Representative or state Senator is on this list, visit, call, fax, writer or send an e-mail to thank him or her for supporting EITC. (NOTE: some legislators represent more than one diocese.)

Not sure who is your state legislator? Look it up with this tool from the Pennsylvania Catholic Advocacy Network.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Allentown Diocese

Sen. Argall
Sen. Boscola
Sen. Browne
Sen. Folmer
Sen. Mensch
Sen. Musto
Sen,O’Pake
Sen. Rafferty

Rep. Brennan
Rep. Caltagirone
Rep. Day
Rep. Freeman
Rep. Goodman
Rep. Grucela
Rep. Harhart
Rep. Kessler
Rep. Knowles
Rep. Mann
Rep. McCall
Rep. Reichley
Rep. Rohrer
Rep. Samuelson
Rep. Santoni
Rep. Seip

Altoona-Johnstown Diocese

Sen. Corman
Sen. Eichelberger
Sen. Kasunic
Sen. Wozniak

Rep. Barbin
Rep. Burns
Rep. Conklin
Rep. Fleck
Rep. Geist
Rep. Haluska
Rep. Hanna

Erie Diocese

Sen. Earll
Sen. Robbins
Sen. Scarnati
Sen. D. White
Sen. M.J. White
Sen. Wozniak

Rep. Brooks
Rep. Causer
Rep. Fabrizio
Rep. Gabler
Rep. George
Rep. Harkins
Rep. Hornaman
Rep. Longietti
Rep. Oberlander
Rep. Rapp
Rep. S. Smith
Rep. Sonney
Rep. Stevenson

Greensburg Diocese

Sen. Kasunic
Sen. Logan
Sen. Stout
Sen. Ward
Sen. D. White

Rep. Casorio
Rep. Daley
Rep. DeWeese
Rep. Harhai
Rep. Kula
Rep. Mahoney
Rep. Markosek
Rep. Oberlander
Rep. Pallone
Rep. Petrarca
Rep. Pyle
Rep. Reese

Harrisburg Diocese

Sen. Alloway
Sen. Brubaker
Sen. Corman
Sen. Eichelberger
Sen. Folmer
Sen. Gordner
Sen. Piccola
Sen. Smucker
Sen. Vance
Sen. Waugh
Sen. Yaw

Rep. Belfanti
Rep. Buxton
Rep. Creighton
Rep. Cutler
Rep. Denlinger
Rep. DePasquale
Rep. Fairchild
Rep. Fleck
Rep. Gingrich
Rep. Grell
Rep. Harris
Rep. Helm
Rep. Kauffman
Rep. Marsico
Rep. Miller
Rep. Moul
Rep. Phillips
Rep. Saylor
Rep. Sturla
Rep. Swanger
Rep. Tallman
Rep. True

Philadelphia Archdiocese

Sen. Brubaker
Sen. Dinniman
Sen. Erickson
Sen. Farnese
Sen. Folmer
Sen. Greenleaf
Sen. Hughes
Sen. Kitchen
Sen. McIlhinney
Sen. Mensch
Sen. Pileggi
Sen. Rafferty
Sen. Stack
Sen. Tartaglione
Sen. Tomlinson
Sen. Washington
Sen. Williams

Rep. Adolph
Rep. Barrar
Rep. Bishop
Rep. Boyle
Rep. Briggs
Rep. Brown
Rep. Clymer
Rep. Cohen
Rep. Cruz
Rep. Curry
Re[. DiGirolamo
Rep. Donatucci
Rep. Drucker
Rep. D. Evans
Rep. Farry
Rep. Galloway
Rep. Gerber
Rep. Godshall
Rep. Harper
Rep. Houghton
Rep. Johnson
Rep. Josephs
Rep. W. Keller
Rep. Killion
Rep. Kirkland
Rep. Lentz
Rep. Manderino
Rep. McGeehan
Rep. Melio
Rep. Micozzie
Rep. Milne
Rep. Murt
Rep. Myers
Rep. M. O’Brien
Rep. O’Neill
Rep. Parker
Rep. Payton
Rep. Perzel
Rep. Petri
Rep. Quigley
Rep. Roebuck
Rep. Ross
Rep. Sabatina
Rep. Santarsiero
Rep. Shapiro
Rep. J. Taylor
Rep. R. Taylor
Rep. Thomas
Rep. Vitali
Rep. Waters
Rep. Watson
Rep. Williams
Rep. Youngblood

Pittsburgh Diocese

Sen. Costa
Sen. Fontana
Sen. Kasunic
Sen. Logan
Sen. Orie
Sen. Pippy
Sen. Robbins
Sen. Stout
Sen. D. White
Sen. M.J. White

Rep. Brooks
Rep. D. Costa
Rep. P. Costa
Rep. Daley
Rep. Deasy
Rep. DeLuca
Rep. Dermody
Rep. DeWeese
Rep. Ellis
Rep. Frankel
Rep. Gergely
Rep. Gibbons
Rep. Kortz
Rep. Kotik
Rep. Levdansky
Rep. Markosek
Rep. Marshall
Rep. Matzie
Rep. Mustio
Rep. Preston
Rep. Readshaw
Rep. Sainato
Rep. M. Smith
Rep. S. Smith
Rep. Solobay
Rep. Stevenson
Rep. Wagner
Rep. Wheatley
Rep. White

Scranton Diocese

Sen. Argall
Sen. Baker
Sen. Boscola
Sen. Browne
Sen. Gordner
Sen. Mellow
Sen. Musto
Sen. Scarnati
Sen. Yaw

Rep. Baker
Rep. Carroll
Rep. Eachus
Rep. Everett
Rep. Major
Rep. Mirabito
Rep. Mundy
Rep. Murphy
Rep. Pashinski
Rep. Pickett
Rep. Scavello
Rep. Siptroth
Rep. K. Smith
Rep. Staback
Rep. Wansacz
Rep. Yudichak

State budget breakdown

AB_Hill — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:25:46 +0000

The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the state budget by the constitutional deadline, June 30. Over the Fourth of July weekend, they passed the necessary fiscal code bill that outlines the revenue to pay for it. Although not exactly on time, this state budget was passed earlier than it has been in many years. The $28.05 billion spending plan does not raise broad-based taxes, but does hold the line on some items and imposes cuts on others.

EDUCATION

The big news about the budget is funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. EITC provides a tax credit to businesses that contribute to organizations that give scholarships to students to attend the school of their choice. Many Catholic school students benefit from EITC scholarships. The successful education program was cut by $15 million last year and was scheduled to be cut another $10 million this year. But thanks to the hard work of the Advocates of Catholic Education in Pennsylvania, this year’s cut was avoided. EITC will be funded at the same level as last year – $60 million. Better still, the share that funds scholarships for students in nonpublic schools was increased more than $2 million to $40 million.

Public schools were one of the winners in this year’s budget; their basic subsidy was increased $250 million for a total of $5.1 billion. Comparatively, non-public school students benefit from a small line item the state education budget that pays for textbooks, materials and a few special services. Those line items received a minimal decrease of less than 1%.

HEALTH CARE

Catholic health care facilities like hospitals and long-term care homes have a special mission to serve the poor. Many of their patients and residents are eligible for Medical Assistance (MA). Fortunately, no payment reductions were made to hospitals in the final budget. The budget also includes a modernized MA payment system that will improve and stabilize reimbursements to hospitals and will help leverage federal matching funds. Hospital officials say the new system will help to enhance patient access to care and provide hospitals with much needed additional funding.

Long-term nursing facilities, assisted living centers, and other long-term care services however, suffered a $34 million loss of funding in several different programs.

The budget counts on $850 million from an extension of the Federal Medical Assistance Program (FMAP) that Congress has yet to approve. If this does not happen, the governor and lawmakers will have to modify the budget to address the shortfall.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Catholic Charities agencies provide a number of programs that are funded by the state. Many of these programs, such as services to people with disabilities to help them live independently, are paid for by the state’s Human Services Development Fund (HSDF), which was cut by $2 million.

A slight cut of $38,000 to the state funded alternatives to abortion program, administered by Real Alternatives, Inc., seems minuscule within the billions of dollars being spent all together on the broad range of social service programs. However, each of those dollars would go a long way to helping women choose life for their unborn children.

The efforts of grassroots supporters made a definite difference in this year’s budget, especially for EITC. Advocates visited, called, faxed, and wrote letters and e-mails to their state legislators. Some wrote letters to the editor of local newspapers. Many more prayed for our elected leaders and the future of our Commonwealth. Thank you for your support.

If you are not yet a member of the Pennsylvania Catholic Advocacy Network or the companion Advocates for Catholic Education in Pennsylvania, consider signing up at www.pacatholic.org. Join us. Be heard. Make a difference in Pennsylvania.

PCC Column July 2010 by A.B. Hill, Communications Director of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference – the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania.

State budget to be signed today

AB_Hill — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:41:26 +0000

Governor Ed Rendell will sign the 2010-2011 state budget this morning, putting the $28 billion spending plan into law. Later this afternoon he will sign the companion fiscal code bill that designates how the revenue will be generated to pay for the plan.

State budget, not yet

AB_Hill — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:18:22 +0000

A disagreement over an unresolved issue in the Fiscal Code bill has created an obstacle in the final approval of the state budget. The General Assembly passed the $28.05 billion spending plan on Wednesday, June 30, but Governor Ed Rendell said he would not sign it into law until the Legislature passed the Fiscal Code bill and other budget related legislation.

At the center of the dispute is the creation of a new Legislative Fiscal Office. Some want it included in this year’s Fiscal Code bill; others prefer to run it as a separate bill.

Legislative leaders will meet this morning in hope of resolving the dispute.

Governor Rendell has 10 days from passage to sign the budget into law. He has warned he will veto if the Fiscal Code bill is not passed.

On-time state budget, almost

AB_Hill — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:25:35 +0000

On June 30, the last day of the state fiscal year, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a $28 billion general appropriations bill for 2010-2011. Governor Ed Rendell has not yet signed the bill; but he says he will once the legislature passes the required fiscal code bill outlining the specifics of spending and capital projects.

Commonwealth Budget Deadline Day – June 30

AB_Hill — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:39:46 +0000

Today is the deadline for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to pass its 2010-2011 state budget. Yesterday, Governor Ed Rendell held a press conference to announce that he and legislative leadership from all four caucuses have agreed to the terms of a $28.052 billion budget. The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to report the spending plan out of committee this morning and it will likely be considered by the full Senate later in the day. The budget contains a $250 million increase for basic education and looks to an October time frame for a severance tax on Marcellus Shale gas drilling operation. The House could vote late tonight or tomorrow to approve the budget and it could arrive on the governor’s desk for signature one day into the new fiscal year — the earliest in his eight years as Governor that a budget was completed.

PCC staff will be reviewing the line items in this spending agreement. More details to come.

Commonwealth Budget Countdown – June 29

AB_Hill — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:45:37 +0000

Wednesday, June 30, 2010, is the deadline for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to pass a balanced budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Rumors of a budget deal are being whispered around the state Capitol, but nothing has been resolved yet. It’s not too late to contact your state legislator to urge him or her to support restoring the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program to $75 million.

EITC Facts

AB_Hill — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:01:37 +0000

The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program provides scholarships for thousands of school children to attend the school that their parents believe is best for them. In the 2009-2010 budget, the EITC Program was cut by $15 million, making the program a total of $60 million. This year the EITC Program is scheduled to be cut again by an additional $10 million – which would make the EITC a $50 million total program in 2010-2011. Cuts to EITC will have a devastating impact all across the Commonwealth.

Approximately 273,000 or 13.1% of all school students in Pennsylvania attend nonpublic schools.
163,000 or 60% of nonpublic school children attend Catholic schools in PA.
More than 44,000 children received EITC scholarships last year.
Students in all 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties received EITC scholarships last year.
Public, nonpublic and nonprofit organizations receive EITC funding.
The result of EITC cuts will be that thousands of children, most of them coming from financially challenged households, will lose their scholarships. Without financial assistance these children would not be able to attend the school of their choice.
If education is a top priority, Pennsylvania should not forget about the 13.1% of children who attend nonpublic schools. If public schools receive an increase, then the EITC program should be restored.

EITC on YouTube

AB_Hill — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:17:04 +0000

Business owners, families of school children, school administrators, and many other advocates are lending their voice to the cause of restoring funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program on the REACH Alliance channel on YouTube. Or see the latest at www.operationrestorepa.org.

PCC mourns loss of Archbishop Schott

AB_Hill — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:18:10 +0000

Archbishop Basil M. Schott

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) is saddened by the news that Metropolitan Basil M. Schott, Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, died on Thursday, June 10, 2010. He will be laid to rest next week.

As the leader of one of the 10 Catholic dioceses that comprise the PCC, Archbishop Schott was a member of the Board of Governors. After many years of service to Byzantine Rite Catholics and to the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, he will be sorely missed.

More information about Archbishop Schott and the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is available at www.archeparchy.org.