Pa. tax revenues plummet $2.2 billion as top state official warns reopening won’t end economic pain
3 min read
Dramatic budget cuts or tax increases might be needed if Congress does not send additional, unrestricted aid to states.
AuthorSpotlight PA
As Wolf administration fails to produce waiver documents, Republicans move closer to subpoena
4 min read963 views and 211 shares
The state’s auditor general said he has begun an audit into the controversial process, but won’t release the names of businesses that received a coveted waiver.
Pa. to set coronavirus testing, contact tracing benchmarks just days before gradual reopening is set to begin
4 min read467 views and 13 shares
The state could need to conduct about 19,000 tests per day and employ as many as 2,000 contact tracers, numbers that far exceed current levels.
Gov. Tom Wolf says he won’t abandon ambitious spending plan as massive budget deficit looms
4 min read239 views and 17 shares
Even before the coronavirus, Republicans expressed skepticism about the spending.
Pa. senators threaten subpoena if Wolf administration refuses to turn over list of coronavirus business waivers
3 min read763 views and 55 shares
The administration has so far refused to release the information despite numerous requests from media organizations.
Pa. coroners, health department at odds over how to handle suspected coronavirus cases, potentially affecting death count
5 min read
By not acknowledging what coroners see as their legal obligation, the Pennsylvania Coroners Association believes that the state is risking a miscount of deaths, potentially misunderstanding how the virus is spreading and overburdening hospital staff with administrative tasks.
States need coronavirus data to make timely decisions, and what they share with the public varies widely
6 min read125 views and 13 shares
As part of a collaborative effort, Stateline and Spotlight PA surveyed six states across the U.S. to determine what information they have made accessible to the public via their websites.
Pa. removes more than 200 deaths from official coronavirus count as questions mount about reporting process, data accuracy
4 min read2,808 views and 1,189 shares
The past five days have been a roller coaster of confusion involving the state health department, marred by retracted statements, reporting lags, and angry coroners.
AARP calls on Pennsylvania to release list of nursing homes with coronavirus cases
3 min read347 views and 33 shares
The number of long-term care residents and staff impacted by the coronavirus has nearly doubled in the past week, with 5,679 positive cases among residents and 849 deaths.
There’s no timeline to release list of Pa. businesses that received coveted coronavirus waivers, top official says
3 min read350 views and 44 shares
During a hearing Thursday, members of the Republican-controlled state Senate lambasted the now-closed waiver process and scrutinized key decisions made by the Wolf administration in response to the COVID-19 threat.
Pa. regions with few coronavirus cases could begin reopening May 8 under new tiered system, Gov. Tom Wolf says
3 min read999 views and 54 shares
In the first phase of reopening, businesses would be allowed to call employees back to work, as long as they take proper precautions. Schools would remain closed and large gatherings would still be prohibited.