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Smart Talk: Is Pa government working?

One fourth of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is sworn-in, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa. The ceremony was held in four separate sessions to provide for social distancing due to COVID-19. The ceremony marks the convening of the 2021-2022 legislative session of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania.

 Laurence Kesterson / AP Photo

One fourth of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is sworn-in, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa. The ceremony was held in four separate sessions to provide for social distancing due to COVID-19. The ceremony marks the convening of the 2021-2022 legislative session of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania.

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Airdate: Monday, February 8, 2021

Gov. Tom Wolf presented his budget proposal to state legislators last week — a plan hinging on a multi-billion dollar tax increase with much of the money going to schools. A family of four making less $84,000 would pay less in taxes, according to administration officials. 

The proposal is unlikely to pass in Pennsylvania’s GOP-controlled legislature, with Republican lawmakers saying Wolf shouldn’t be asking for tax hikes during a pandemic. Republicans also are focusing their attention on what they see as high-profile failures of the administration, like the vaccine roll out.

There is plenty of criticism being levied by one side against the other; Legislators against the Governor, Democrats against Republicans. With all of the acrimony, and little action to fix big state problems, one might ask, “is the state Government working?”

Two long-time government and political observers join Smart Talk Monday to tackle that question. G. Terry Madonna, Ph.D., is a political analyst and a Senior Fellow in Residence at Millersville University and he will appear along with veteran journalist and PennLive Columnist John Baer.

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