A recent legislative initiative in Harrisburg proposes something new and innovative for a government program – hope.The Reliable Educational Assistance for College Hopefuls (REACH) bill (HB 1722) aims to provide financial support to every exceptional high school student living i
This time of year there is a lot of talk about taxing and spending here in Harrisburg. The state legislature and the governor just agreed upon a $27.5 billion spending plan for the 2007-2008 budget, including $9.4 billion for education. The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Al
Each year in July, we get a day off to celebrate our country – the land of the free and home of the brave; but what is freedom? In particular, what is religious freedom? When asked this question, most of us think of the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights of the United States
Do we really need government to take more decisions away from parents? This question is being considered right now in Harrisburg. Governor Ed Rendell proposes $75 million on his “Pre-K Counts” initiative for pre-kindergarten education for four-year-olds, but it unfairly discriminates
Parents, in virtue of their participation in the fatherhood of God, have the first responsibility for the education of their children and they are the first heralds of the faith for them. (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #460) Education is one of the most important
Another two-year legislative session is ending in Harrisburg. Hundreds of public policy proposals were discussed and done, or left undone by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) and the Pennsylvania Catholic Health Association (PCHA) tracked an
Last month Governor Ed Rendell proposed a $54.2 billion spending plan for the fiscal year 2006-2007. State legislators will debate and discuss the dollar figures and policy implications of each line item over the next several months. Ideally, a final bill will pass the House of Repres