State News

Korean American Vietnam vets may soon get VA benefits

Lauren Jessop | The Center Square contributorMarch 19, 2025

(The Center Square) – Recognition for Vietnam veterans was long overdue. However, for their Korean American counterparts, the wait has been even longer – a wrong that Pennsylvania lawmakers want to right. The effort made progress on Tuesday after the House passed the PA Korean VALOR Act, or House Bill 304, by a nearly unanimous...

Paid leave state program raises tough questions

By Christen Smith | The Center SquareMarch 19, 2025

(The Center Square) – More than 4 million workers in Pennsylvania live paycheck-to-paycheck without paid time off for family or medical care, forcing many to sacrifice health to make ends meet. Others quit working entirely, shrinking the state’s economy and worsening its labor shortage. State Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Pittsburgh, said her mother was one of...

Legislators move to expand substance use treatment in county jails

Christina Lengyel | The Center SquareMarch 18, 2025

(The Center Square) – Lawmakers are hoping to expand and improve upon a 2015 law that offers grants to county jails treating inmates experiencing substance use disorders. Act 80 provides funding for the use of naltrexone, or Vivitrol, an injectable extended-release drug that blocks the effects of opioids. Since the passage of the act, several...

Schools’ solar demand booming in Pennsylvania

Lauren Jessop | The Center Square contributorMarch 18, 2025

(The Center Square) – The demand from schools for solar project funding across Pennsylvania is outpacing available resources, state data reveals. In its pilot round, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, or DCED, reported receiving 88 grant applications from schools across 25 counties for the Solar for Schools program. Schools requested $88 million...