A growing band of board dissidents says PSERS leaders must leave immediately to fix “an irrevocable loss of trust and confidence that is a consequence of persistent underperformance.”
Author Archives: Spotlight PA
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Legislature votes to immediately end Pa.’s coronavirus disaster declaration while keeping waivers in place
Republicans said terminating the emergency order was what Pennsylvanians demanded when they granted the legislative branch new powers during the May primary.
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Pa. GOP proposes major election overhaul, including stricter voter ID and in-person early voting
The bill comes as Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country seek to tighten voting laws.
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Sold on the promise of a college education, some former Milton Hershey School students ended up with debt, hardships
Hershey profits benefit a boarding school that spends generously on its low-income students. But that investment comes with strings attached — leaving some students behind and others mired in debt.
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Personal data from Pa. contact tracing calls still online despite assurances it had been secured
A spreadsheet of data was still online as of Wednesday, raising questions about whether the company, Insight Global, or the state can be confident they know where all the information might be stored.
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In a revolt, dissidents on PSERS board lobby colleagues to fire the fund’s leaders and set a new investment strategy
A growing band of board dissidents says PSERS leaders must go immediately to fix “an irrevocable loss of trust and confidence that is a consequence of persistent underperformance.”
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Wolf sticks by $1 billion plan to close Pa.’s education gap, minus his proposed tax increase
While Democrats say the state should put some of its $3 billion revenue surplus into education, Republicans counter Pennsylvania’s financial picture isn’t that rosy.
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Jobless in Pa. livid over new unemployment system errors as state declares victory
A new wave of problems blocked numerous people from filing for benefits they had already been approved for.
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Facing FBI probe, PSERS backtracks on disclosure that staffers were on both sides of real estate dealings
The $64 billion pension fund claimed in a new IRS filing that its previous disclosures were poorly worded and filed in “error.”
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With $10 billion to spend, advocates press Wolf, Pa. lawmakers to prioritize poor people
Buoyed by $3 billion in excess tax revenue and more than $7 billion in stimulus dollars, Democrats want the state to go big, while Republicans are wary of huge new spending.
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Five takeaways from a year-long investigation on lawmaker spending
The Caucus and Spotlight PA wanted to find out how one of the largest and most expensive full-time legislatures in the country spends tax money on itself.
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Bill would force Pa. to post online how lawmakers spend millions in tax dollars each year
The bipartisan measure comes in response to an ongoing investigation by Spotlight PA and The Caucus into how taxpayers shell out millions each year for perks but are largely unaware of that spending.
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Internal PSERS documents show how Pa’s biggest pension fund got key financial calculation wrong
A federal probe is examining the $64 billion fund’s exaggerated investment returns and real estate spending.
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Anxiety runs high as Pa. begins massive overhaul of 60-year-old unemployment computer system
Claims will be put on hold until June 8 as the state makes an ambitious leap to a new, cloud-based benefits system. But experts warn this “all-at-once” approach often fails.
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Zuckerberg-funded support of Pa. counties’ election expenses draws scrutiny
More than 20 Pennsylvania counties turned to private philanthropy when it became apparent the Republican-led General Assembly wasn’t going to help them cover COVID-related expenses.
