HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – It’s been more than a month since Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced he’ll submit a new nominee to head the state police, and his office says that choice will be made soon. A Wolf spokesman said several days ago that the first-term Democrat has received recommendations from a diverse group and that he’s spoken with several strong candidates.
In the meantime, the man Wolf chose earlier this year, Marcus Brown, remains on the job in the role of acting commissioner. Senate Republicans voted down Brown last month, the first time in recent memory that’s happened. Brown had been opposed by the troopers’ union and was targeted for criticism for deciding to wear a state police uniform despite not having gone through the state police academy.
AP
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – For the third time in a dozen years, counties and nonprofit agencies that make up Pennsylvania’s social services safety net are suffering during the budget deadlock in Harrisburg. The state government is in its fifth week of a budget stalemate, and the governor’s office is halting reimbursements for July’s invoices. That means agencies are deciding which services must stop or whether workers must be laid off. Some agencies stop work altogether.
To keep things going, some counties may front the money and some workers may go unpaid. Family Services of Western Pennsylvania has increased its credit line to keep paying staff and providing services to people who need daily help with mental illness and addiction. Agency CEO and President Stephen Christian-Michaels says whether that’ll be enough depends on how long the stalemate stretches out. Other non-profit agencies are shutting down, making life difficult for people who depend on the services. The state legislature is on summer recess.