Nov 17th - Senate overrides Rendell Veto of HB101/Senate Officer Elections/Torsella to UN/Voucher Bill Coming

Posted on Wed, Nov. 17, 2010

State Senate overrides veto of school-code bill

By Angela Couloumbis and Dan Hardy

INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU

HARRISBURG - The state Senate on Wednesday voted to override Gov. Rendell's veto of a school-code bill that he contended gave unfair tax breaks to certain charter-school landlords.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/news_breaking/20101117_State_Senate_overrides_veto_of_school-code_bill.html#ixzz15aaquyLm

Inky Commonwealth Confidential Blog Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hughes elected as top Democrat on Senate Appropriations Committee

With the ouster of Rep. Dwight Evans as House Appropriations Chairman yesterday came an instant hue and cry about Philadelphia losing influence in the General Assembly.

But the city gained back some influence over in the Senate today when Sen. Vincent Hughes was elected by fellow Democrats to chair the Appropriations Committee. He prevailed over Sen. Mike O'Pake of Berks County.

Of course, the Democrats are the minority party in the Senate, where the Republicans hold a 30-20 majority, but they will soon be the minority in the House too.

At the top of the Democratic leadership ranks, a new era begins today with the selection of Sen. Jay Costa - the current ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee - of Allegheny County as the floor leader. He replaces Robert Mellow of Lackawanna County who is retiring after 16 years. Costa defeated Philadelphia Sen. Mike Stack for the post. 

The last Philadelphian to hold the appropriations post was Sen. Vincent Fumo, who is serving a federal sentence for corruption.

Also today, Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione became the first woman in the history of the Senate Democratic caucus to be elected to a leadership position when she was named caucus secretary.

In a separate election, Republicans re-elected their current leadership team: Sen. Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County as President Pro Tempore, Sen. Dominic Pileggi of Delaware County as Majority leader and Sen. Jake Corman of Centre County, as appropriations chairman. 

Sen. Pat Browne of Lehigh County was elected to the post of majority whip. He replaces Jane Orie of Allegheny County who had to give up her leadership position after she was charged with using public money for political purposes.

Posted by Amy Worden @ 1:29 PM

So Joe goes to the UN, Donna goes to Washington and we get  the Keystone Exams they left behind………….

Philadelphia Business Journal - by Jeff Blumenthal

Torsella nominated by Obama for U.N. post

Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 2:01pm EST

Joseph M. Torsella, who served two stints as president and CEO of the National Constitution Center and currently serves as chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education,

has been nominated by President Obama to serve as U.S. representative to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform.
Read more: Torsella nominated by Obama for U.N. post | Philadelphia Business Journal

Great comment from Lynn Foltz who forwarded the following one: “As one of my board members paraphrased Star Trek - Why does the choice of a few outweigh the education of the many?”

SCHOOL CHOICE BILL PROMISED FOR NEXT STATE LEGISLATURE 

By Brad Bumsted, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Two lawmakers pledged yesterday to introduce legislation early next year to authorize tuition vouchers for school choice in Pennsylvania.

Republican Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and Democratic Sen. Anthony Williams of Philadelphia, who touted the issue in his unsuccessful run for governor, plan to co-author a bill they say would help parents and students fed up with public education.

Click here for full story:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/email/s_709513.html?_s_icmp=et