Smart Talk: State budget update; Legal aid in civil cases; Contraception Supreme Court ruling
What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, July 1, 2014:
WITF’s Capitol Bureau Chief Mary Wilson appears on Smart Talk Tuesday with the latest news on Pennsylvania’s 2014-15 fiscal year budget.
Then, we’ll hear about Toward Equal Justice for All — a recent report compiled by the Pennsylvania Civil Legal Justice Coalition. The report concludes that a large number of low-income Pennsylvanians who can’t afford legal representation in civil cases means they don’t get justice, has a negative impact on courts’ administration of justice and undermines the rule of law.
The Coalition recommends an additional $50 million be appropriated by the state for civil legal services and says it will save taxpayer money in the future.
Judge Chester Harhut, Samuel Milkes, Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery)
Joining us on the program are Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Samuel Milkes, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network and co-chair of the coalition and former Lackawanna County President Judge Chester Harhut.
Finally, Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations with religious objections to opt out of a requirement that they pay for insurance plans that cover certain types of contraceptives is the talk of the nation today.
Widener School of Law Associate Professor Michael Dimino Sr. appears on Smart Talk to provide analysis of the decision.
Conestoga Wood Products of Lancaster County was one of the plaintiffs in the case.
