Thank the Senate for restoring higher ed funding
On Wednesday the Pennsylvania Senate passed SB 1466, the General Appropriations Act, which includes the full restoration of funding to the State System of Higher Education. The bill passed 39-8, and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The Senate budget proposal spends $27.6 billion – approximately $500 million more than Governor Corbett’s initial proposal – and restores the governor’s deep cuts to higher education institutions. While the legislation maintains funding for all state-owned, state-related and community colleges at current-year levels, the funding restorations come with the caveat that the state-owned and state-related universities will not increase tuition above the rate of inflation.
Senate GOP budget that restores higher education funding passes committee, moves to full Senate vote
The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously passed a Senate GOP budget proposal this morning that restores funding to all state-owned, state-related and community colleges back to current-year levels. Next step for this version of the budget will be a full Senate vote, which could come as early as tomorrow (Wednesday, May 9).
For background on the Senate GOP budget proposal, check out Monday’s story from the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
Social media usage during Legislative Assembly
As our spring Legislative Assembly gets underway tomorrow in Altoona, APSCUF is inviting all of our delegates to use social media throughout the weekend to help publicize and promote our causes.
If you’re tweeting from Legislative Assembly, we ask that you use the #apscufLA hashtag. We’ve set up a Tweetwall at http://apscufla.tweetwally.com to capture all tweets with this hashtag, so remember to use it!
A quick look at Tuesday’s Primary election
Despite the weak voter turnout, Tuesday’s primary election night held some interesting surprises and upsets.
There were several hotly contested statewide races, including the Democratic primary for Attorney General. APSCUF did not endorse either candidate in the race, but other labor groups backed Patrick Murphy, who lost to Kathleen Kane. She will face republican Dave Freed in the fall. Tom Smith won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate and will face Senator Bob Casey in November.
Make your voice heard: VOTE!
Tomorrow (Tuesday, April 24) is Pennsylvania’s primary election day. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please remember to vote.
Pennsylvanians will be voting in primaries for US President and Congress, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, for statewide offices (Attorney General, Auditor General and Treasurer), and there will also be a handful of Special Elections to replace legislators who have stepped down or moved to other positions in the last year.
CFHE Day of Action | April 18, 2012
On Wednesday, April 18th, the Campaign for the Future of Higher Education (CFHE) is organizing a National Day of Action to promote quality public higher education. APSCUF is a founding member of CFHE and has been instrumental in the early workings of the Campaign. APSCUF is proud to be involved with the movement, which has the theme “Invest in Higher Education: It’s the Right Course.”
Take time to volunteer for the primary election
Please complete the form below to register to volunteer for the April 24 Pennsylvania Primary by either volunteering to assist at an APSCUF-endorsed candidate’s polling location or by handing out higher education material to registered voters at your chosen precinct.
APSCUF President implores PASSHE board not to slash funding
The PASSHE Board of Governors met on Wednesday, April 4, and Thursday, April 5, for its quarterly board meeting. State APSCUF president Steve Hicks made a brief statement during the public comment period about the impact of the governor’s proposed budget cuts on students. He implored the board to act in the best interests of students and to boldly lead the state system into the future.
CFHE's first report examines community college access
On Monday, April 2, the Center for the Future of Higher Education issued its first report entitled “Closing the Door, Increasing the Gap: Who’s not going to (community) college?” The report looks at policy trends, including enrollment caps and program curtailment, which limit access to community colleges for working families and minority students.
The think tank is affiliated with the Campaign for the Future of Higher Education (CFHE), a grassroots effort to ensure that quality public higher education remains accessible and affordable. APSCUF has participated in CFHE since its inception.
Students fight elements to fight cuts
Today’s blog post comes from our current APSCUF intern, Tim Mack, a political science and journalism major at Lock Haven University.
A thunderstorm couldn’t stop a few hundred PASSHE students from marching up to the Capitol and voicing their opposition of Governor Corbett’s proposed budget, which cuts funding for the State System of Higher Education by 20 percent. The student demonstrators arrived with witty and creative signs to match their disgruntled attitudes.
