If Sabatina’s House Bill 1296 is approved, people who knowingly enter, attempt to enter, or remain unlawfully in a dwelling with the intent to commit a crime of violence would be convicted of a home invasion offense.

Media coverage is encouraged.

WHO:             Sen. Mike Stack (D-Philadelphia), Rep. John Sabatina, Philly DA Seth Williams, Philly Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey

WHAT:           Press conference on home invasion legislation

WHEN:          10:30 a.m., Friday, May 17

WHERE:        Main Lobby, Police Headquarters, 8^th & Race streets, Philadelphia

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Follow Sen. Mike Stack on Facebook, Twitter and his website.

The Common Core standards, as the Pennsylvania Department of Education is calling them, would be used by the agency as a way to determine student proficiency. The new standards would also implement standalone exams that would determine whether or not a student graduates from high school.

Neither the state Independent Regulatory Review Commission nor the federal government has approved the Common Core standards.

“I stand with my Senate Democratic colleagues in denouncing these standardized tests. Especially when there is increasing evidence to challenge the notion that they identify students who have adequately learned the required subject matter,” Stack (D-Philadelphia) said.

“At a time where we are talking about customized learning and the power of hybrid learning, we suddenly find the Corbett administration pushing an Industrial Age approach of standards-based testing as the sole approach to learning and accountability,” Stack said.

If they are allowed to be implemented without legislative oversight, Stack said the new standards would add 10 more days of testing to students’ already overwhelming assessment exams schedule, which would take even more time away from traditional instruction.

If students fail the new standalone tests, Stack said it could cost Pennsylvania school districts more than $500 million to re-teach and re-direct students to pass the test.

“The new common core standards will exacerbate the problem of teaching-to-the-test,” Stack said.

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Follow Sen. Mike Stack via his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Medical Products Laboratories Inc., 9990 Global Road, Philadelphia, is expected to create 14 jobs and retain 148 positions with the help of a Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, or PIDA, loan.

“MPL has been a good neighbor in Philadelphia for generations and this PIDA loan will ensure that it continues to be a good neighbor – providing good jobs – for years to come,” Stack (D-Philadelphia) said.

Medical Products Laboratories has been an active participant in the study and manufacture of fluoride pharmaceuticals for more than 40 years.

The company is planning to buy an existing facility in Philly and invest more than $1 million in its renovation.

MPL will repay the loan over 15 years at an interest rate of 1.5 percent.

PIDA provides capital for building acquisition, construction and renovation work for manufacturers, industrial developers, research and development firms, agricultural processors and employers.

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Follow Sen. Mike Stack via his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

“Gov. Corbett is regurgitating disparaging and unproven rumors as gospel truth. His statement about rampant drug abuse by unemployed Pennsylvanians and this abuse being the cause of the state’s high unemployment rate misses the mark and ignores his failed economic policies and disastrous budget cuts.

“Corbett’s mud-slinging is another example of throwing the underdog under the bus while his fat-cat pals get a ride down easy street.

“After two years of significant budget cuts and program changes that resulted in 41,000 people losing health insurance through adultBasic, 89,000 kids losing health insurance through CHIP and Medical Assistance, and 20,000 school employees losing their jobs, Gov. Corbett is desperately looking for a scapegoat.

“For him to call all unemployed Pennsylvanians drug users is inaccurate, mean-spirited, and just plain wrong. The truth is that these people want to work and Gov. Corbett continues to show no leadership or have any plans to get them employed. He has failed to embrace Medicaid expansion or a more robust transportation funding plan. These plans will generate at least 100,000 jobs based on data compiled by several reports.

“The solution to our unemployment woes is to believe in Pennsylvanians and invest in them.

“The people of our state are hardworking and dedicated. If we invest in the right
programs and policies, we can generate jobs and reduce our unemployment rate without resorting to desperate and unproven name calling and wild allegations.”

Follow Sen. Mike Stack via his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

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The Democratic lawmakers encouraged the Senate to move now on bills that would establish the “Vets First Tax Credit” program and provide a $4,000 tax credit for each veteran an employer hires.

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“The unemployment rate for veterans is higher than it is for people who have not signed up to give their life to protect our freedoms,” Stack said. “That’s a twisted reality and one that our fighting men and women should not have to experience after bravely serving this great country.”

“Veterans returning from Afghanistan, as a group, face an unemployment rate twice the state average,” said Barbin (D-Cambria). “After the sacrifices made by them and their families, it is our duty to honor their sacrifice by getting these men and women back into the workforce first.”

The legislation Barbin (D-Cambria County) introduced, House Bill 159, was sent to the Senate Finance Committee in March after receiving a 193-0 vote. Stack’s proposal, Senate Bill 468, is also before that committee.

SB468 would provide a $4,000 tax credit for each veteran an employer hires and keeps on her payroll for six months or more.

The hire could be for a new position or it could be to replace someone who has left a job.

The Vets First Tax Credit would continue for four years as long as the veteran has been working for those four years.

Pennsylvania has the fourth-largest population of veterans at 960,000. Stack said it’s time for the commonwealth to make sure they are able to support themselves and their families when they take off the uniform.

“You could argue that Pennsylvania can’t spare the revenue given the very real possibility we will have to cover another deficit this year,” Stack said. “However, it will cost much more than $4,000 to try and mend the broken lives of each veteran who cannot pay for life’s essentials and loses his family and sense of self because he has no regular paycheck once he returns from the battlefield.”

“We often take for granted the individuals who deserve our highest gratitude,” Barbin said. “Wanting the best for our service veterans is not a Democratic or a Republican issue. Last year, more than a billion dollars in tax credits were approved in the budget, and it’s my hope that this year we recognize veterans’ service as our highest priority.”

The lawmakers said their proposals address the most critical need for veterans and will positively affect historically high homelessness and suicide rates.

Members of the Pennsylvania State Veterans Commission and the Pennsylvania War Veterans Council joined Stack and Barbin during today’s press conference.

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Senate Bill 468 is the companion bill that Stack introduced but is awaiting action in the chamber. Barbin’s House Bill 159 received no negative votes when it was considered by the House on March 18 and is now with the Senate Finance Committee.

Media coverage is encouraged.

WHO:             Sen. Mike Stack (D-Philadelphia) and Rep. Bryan Barbin (D-Cambria)

WHAT:           Press conference on “Vets First Tax Credit” legislation

WHEN:          10:30 a.m., Monday, April 29

WHERE:        Capitol Rotunda, Harrisburg

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Follow Sen. Mike Stack on Facebook, Twitter and his website.

Flat – or determinate – sentencing often leaves the families of convicted offenders in the dark about how long their relative will be behind bars. While no legislation has yet to be introduced on the issue, the committee is holding this public hearing to get firsthand information about the effect of the sometimes unfair procedure.

Media coverage is invited.

WHO:             Senate Judiciary Committee Public Hearing

WHAT:           Determinate Sentencing

WHEN:          10 a.m., Thursday, April 25

WHERE:        1101 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

Editor’s Note: The public hearing agenda is below.

10 a.m. – Opening remarks by Sens. Mike Stack and Stewart Greenleaf

10:10 a.m. – Judge Benjamin Lerner

10:30 a.m. – Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman

10:50 a.m. – PA Board of Probation and Parole Chairman Michael Potteiger

11:10 a.m. – ACLU of Pennsylvania Legislative Director Andy Hoover

11:30 a.m. – Michele McCants

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Stack (D-Philadelphia) said Senate Bill 870 would restore adultBasic using half of the tobacco settlement funds ($46.9 million) that are earmarked for “health investment insurance.” The other half of that funding ($46.9 million) would go towards the Medical Assistance to Workers with Disabilities fund.

“AdultBasic is a vital, long-term cost-saving program for hundreds of Pennsylvanians with pre-existing conditions,” Stack, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, said. “It allows those who are eligible to work to do so while receiving health care benefits.”

If signed into law by the governor, Senate Bill 870 would take effect in 60 days.

“When Gov. Corbett illegally eliminated the program two years ago, 40,000 adultBasic recipients were forced to find more expensive – and potentially budget-busting – health insurance. Worse, they went without insurance,” Stack said.

“Senate Bill 870 will restore this imperative program by using tobacco settlement dollars the way they were intended, and the way Commonwealth Court ruled they should be spent. This is common sense legislation that will restore hope and dignity for Pennsylvanians who need both,” he said.

Commonwealth Court said March 5 that two state laws diverting tobacco settlement dollars from adultBasic to the state’s general fund budget were unconstitutional.

Pennsylvania created adultBasic in 2001 to provide health insurance to adults, ages 19 through 64, with incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($21,660 for an individual) who had been uninsured for at least three months before applying and who were not eligible for Medicaid.

AdultBasic was designed without a pre-existing condition exclusion, which helped those with chronic diseases and life-threatening conditions.

“We need to restore adultBasic,” Stack said. “It reduces uncompensated care costs and helps people stay in the workforce by ensuring they have basic health insurance. It’s the economically and morally right thing to do.”

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Follow Sen. Mike Stack via his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said that Senate Democrats will go into this year’s budget negotiations with a clear purpose and “are resolved that the state’s economy must be jump-started. New jobs must be created and we have to reverse the negative course that the Corbett administration has plotted for Pennsylvania on education and protecting our most vulnerable.”

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“We have an opportunity and a responsibility to seek new investments and use resources that are available to change policy direction during this year’s budget negotiations.”

Costa said Senate Democrats believe that more than 120,000 jobs can be created quickly by enacting a responsible transportation plan, expanding Medicaid and using economic development policies outlined in their PA Works plan.

Costa was joined by a host of Senate Democrats in making today’s announcement.

Sen. Vincent Hughes, who serves as the Democratic chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that by taking action now on key economic initiatives then restoring job creation and community programs to their past luster — before Corbett budgets sliced them to the core — is an excellent starting point.

“We need to start creating jobs right now and we can do that by working on transportation and Medicaid expansion,” Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) said. “These initiatives coupled with rebuilding water and sewer systems, investing in schools and new technologies will create economic growth immediately.

“In addition, by investing in programs such as Main Street, Elm Street and international business we can help small business here while they market their products abroad.,”

Democratic Whip Sen. Tony Williams (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) said that the caucus was turning up the heat on the Corbett administration on jobs, health care, education and social safety net issues because the governor has failed to lead.

“We’ve outlined reasonable strategic policy alternatives that will reverse direction and provide a new path and we’ve identified revenues that will pay for the proposed expenditures,” Williams said. “Pennsylvania is rudderless on job creation and our economic numbers and business indicators under this administration illustrate the problem.

“Our most vulnerable can also not withstand another senseless round of Corbett cuts and we have to restore programs that promote help for those in need.”

Williams said that Pennsylvania is now 43rd in job creation, falling from eighth place among all states under Gov. Ed Rendell’s leadership. Plus, he said, last month’s unemployment claims fell nationally to below 350,000 but, because of Corbett policy short-sightedness, Pennsylvania led the country in new unemployment claims.

Senate Democrats said that they have laid out specific plans to achieve results in the 2013-14 budget in five areas. These include: strategic investments to create jobs; improving education; repositioning business taxes while closing business tax loopholes; modernizing the wine and spirits stores; and repairing and protecting social safety net programs.

The caucus leaders said that they’ve noted at least $750 million in annual savings, plus another $150 million in one-time revenues. They also said that we need to find resources to pay for specific new expenditures including $225 million for basic education, $50 million to aid distressed cities and communities, $40 million for transitional housing and homeownership among other items, and funds for new tax credits for a variety of areas including film production.

Democrats said that priority details include a three-year phase in of new monies to restore education dollars and key student-performance based initiatives that were cut by the Corbett administration in the last two budgets.

They also said that they would emphasize rebuilding struggling communities through their Growth, Progress and Sustainability (GPS) plan; seek new funds for transitional housing and new homeownership opportunities; and push for modernizing the wine and spirits stores rather than the opt for the risky privatization scheme that has been sought by the Corbett administration.

The Democrats indicated that they expected the negotiations to become more focused once the Senate returns to session in late April.

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More than $500,000 worth of renovations have been made to the playground, including new play equipment, a more water-friendly spray area, walkways and landscaping. The project was led by the Philadelphia departments of Parks & Recreation and Public Property, with funding from Philadelphia City Councilman Brian O’Neill.

Media coverage is invited.

WHO:             State Sen. Mike Stack

WHAT:           Boyle Playground Ribbon-Cutting

WHEN:          4 p.m., Thursday, April 18

WHERE:        13024 Stevens Road, Philadelphia, PA 19116.

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