The Philadelphia cigarette tax; the Pennsylvania budget
ListenGuests: Kevin McCorry, Sharon Ward, Katrina Anderson
Just one vote held up the proposed cigarette tax in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly last week. The $2-per-pack tax would have helped fund Philadelphia’s struggling public schools and now it’s uncertain if they will be able to open on time. We start this hour off looking at how the cigarette tax got derailed and where it now stands with WHYY education reporter KEVIN MCCORRY. Then, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed the state budget on Friday but vetoed $65 million in funding for the legislature, saying the General Assembly failed to reign in pension spending. We’ll get analysis of the budget and discuss the politics with SHARON WARD, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, and KATRINA ANDERSON, Director of Government Affairs for the Commonwealth Foundation.
Photo credit: AP Photo/Bradley C Bower
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