Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday a slate of reforms to the state’s charter school laws in what he says is an attempt to hold charters to the same standards as public schools at a time when critics say they are siphoning off money from local districts.

Flanked by Education Secretary Pedro Rivera and a bevy of local lawmakers in an Allentown press conference, Wolf announced he would be tasking the Department of Education with developing regulations that aim to beef up financial transparency for charter school management firms and increase their accountability to the state.

After four Pennsylvania children were reportedly separated from their families by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this summer, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is calling upon the federal agency to pause operations until they can ensure the safety of children in the state. 

In a strongly worded letter sent Monday to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, Wolf chastised the agency for separating four children from their families as a result of “overly aggressive” immigration enforcement. 

The House Democratic Policy Committee hearing Monday filled the Spackman Center’s auditorium in Coatesville. Many of the attendees expressed frustration with increasing property taxes and confusing school budgets.

The committee met to discuss the state’s education funding formula. The recently passed budget added $200 million to the $6 billion state endowment to schools across the commonwealth, which will go through the new funding formula that will distribute a higher proportion to schools that have been short-changed over the years.

As more states are taking it into their own hands to address climate change issues, Democrats in Pennsylvania are hoping to get the commonwealth up to speed with some of its neighbors.

Rep. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) hosted a House Democratic Policy Committee meeting on July 25 to discuss how Pennsylvania can transition toward using renewable energy and meeting a goal of 100-percent clean energy by 2050. Comitta told The PLS Reporter that her biggest takeaway from the testimony was the “urgency” from those who spoke about renewable energy, waste management, and the immediate need for change.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale held a press conference Monday morning to announce recommendations and a call for action to ensure that Pennsylvania's district justices are not wrongfully giving people a criminal record for offences that should be classified as civil violations. 

DePasquale released an audit that showed in an Erie County District Court a former district justice incorrectly filed criminal charges for theft of services in situations that should have been civil complaints.