Sen. Pileggi Tweets Bypass The Press


Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9) has been diligent about tweeting updates to the goings on of the Pennsylvania Senate.

Yesterday, for instance, he informed the world that the Senate Rules Committee has a new website with links to documents filed by cabinet and other nominees.

He notes that Senate Bill 106 has been introducted by Sen. Kim Ward (R-39) to amend the state Constitution to prohibit lame-duck legislative sessions.

He tells us that Senate Bill 107 , introduced by himself, would prohibit contigent-fee lobbying for state grants as is now the case with legislative issues.

He points out that Senate Bill 200 , introduced by Sen. Pat Brown (R-16) aimed at preventing concussions among student-athletes was approved today in committee.  

And he tells us that a hearing is being planned for his own Senate Bill 247 which would make changes to the three-year-old Open Records Law.

And four days ago he told us that Sen. Browne introduced SB 105 which would establish a searchable web-based database for matters involving state spending.

Anybody see a story on that in the old media?

The Senator can be followed here .


Teachers Union Hikes Dues To Fight Choice


The Pennsylvania State Education Association — the union which represents public school teachers, school nurses, guidance counselors, librarians and such — has announced it will raise the dues of its 190,000 members by 11 percent according to Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania . 

The new revenue is apparently aimed at fighting the pending school choice legislation .

The PSEA already gets about $90 million from dues which it uses to pay for 230 employees, including eight full-time lobbyists who make about $150,000 a year apiece.

The dues hike is expected to bring in about $9 million more.

All public school teachers (librarians, nurses etc.) must contribute to this very anti-child union whether they want to or not. The money ultimately comes from the taxpayer anyway.

Hat tip Bob Guzzardi.