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https://www.abc27.com/investigators/shawns-law-york-county-mom-fights-for-tougher-penalties-against-those-who-encourage-others-to-take-their-own-life/?fbclid=IwAR2vuraueQvuG0cAOXMuLd8uw9zWUIqA4Kbvm61m3x4aE_UIOM1ewT_WBfU

The PA House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday passed 8 bills designed to combat human trafficking. Here are highlights as we shared them on Twitter. The PCC has long supported such legislation. PA House Judiciary Committee this morning passed 8 bills with strong bipartisan support that are designed to fight the crime of human trafficking. The PCC has long supported such measures. We talked with committee Chair Rep. Rob Kauffman after the vote. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems pic.twitter.com/FF7POQKYL4 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) April 20, 2021 A package of 8 bills was passed this morning by the PA House Judiciary Committee to combat human trafficking in PA. The package included HB 246 by Rep. Natalie Mihalek. She talked about the bill prior to the vote. @PAHouseGOP @RepMihalek pic.twitter.com/VYPJc2NSpR — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) April 20, 2021 Rep. Meghan Schroeder explains her bill on human trafficking, HB 580, to the PA House Judiciary Committee. The bill passed this morning and we hope it will soon be considered by the full House. The PCC supports these human trafficking bills. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/SRD61DojSF — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) April 20, 2021 Rep. Craig Williams is the prime sponsor of HB 1130, a measure designed to fight human trafficking that passed the PA House Judiciary Committee this morning. Williams talked about his bill and about his background. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/3T3xPPG1CX — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) April 20, 2021 PCC has long supported legislation to fight human trafficking. That has carried over into the package of bills that was passed today out of committee dealing with that crime. Here, Rep. Marci Mustello, sponsor of HB 231, addresses House Judiciary Comm. @PAHouseGOP @Marci4PA11 pic.twitter.com/7tbM8o6Iwy — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) April 20, 2021 Rep. Barry Jozwiak addresses the PA House Judiciary Committee prior to the vote on his human trafficking bill, HB 753. The bill was passed along with 7 other bills designed to combat human trafficking. The PCC has long supported such legislation. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/AWJWRL8Vmk — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) April 20, 2021          

The 4th and final part of our series on human trafficking explains what lawmakers and the PCC have been doing to help solve the problem. https://fb.watch/7X9-8f1Bdi/

We talk with Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack about the efforts to fight human trafficking. https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732753579746685324?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732765713054470239?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732766219596435926?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732775470393889221?s=20 Facebook ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/hieNMkimGABgrjaS/?mibextid=d6eG65   ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/5pnu4uYDr4DXCvJc/?mibextid=d6eG65   ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/qH2GGUt8zv8SKdX3/?mibextid=d6eG65        

As part of the PCC’s efforts on human trafficking, we’re talking with advocates and lawmakers about what is being done to address the issue. Today I’m sharing a series of sound bites from an interview I did with Christine Commerce from the Alliance to End Human Trafficking. https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736783868848492574?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736796871337599054?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736818153110307184?s=20              

We talked with PA Senator Maria Collett about two bills to combat human trafficking. The PCC supports these measures. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Kt42YCggWSg8cSfu/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/81hHpExotYkCzhXr/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/pwQ7FQ6FNsH9toZA/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/drx1X9Wqukp77EwZ/?mibextid=WC7FNe  

Sarah Bowen of the Promise of Life Network crisis pregnancy center near Pittsburgh talked with me about the motivation behind the campaign by abortion advocates against the work these centers do, which is to provide women with support during an unplanned pregnancy. https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1703790777099235616?s=20   https://fb.watch/nccvJtmh6p/?mibextid=cr9u03  

We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with more on the subject of breastfeeding. For the next several days we will look at the important work being done by the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank and how the PCC is looking to help them. https://fb.watch/dv4YBuc3qS/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1532416678121857025?s=20&t=6XAnUbQUJooExYYWxkr1WQ  

The PA House Health Committee today unanimously passed Senate Bill 500, which calls for Medicaid coverage of human donor milk. The milk is vitally important for many newborns suffering from health issues. The PCC supports this issue. It has already passed the Senate and just needs approval by the full House. Here are the Facebook and X links for the two stories we ran. https://fb.watch/nLLsZciiLe/?mibextid=cr9u03 https://fb.watch/nLLsZciiLe/?mibextid=cr9u03 https://x.com/pacatholic/status/1714669965268193289?s=46&t=BhvQl7L4iZmDeA-ftim4Og https://x.com/pacatholic/status/1714667221551587757?s=46&t=BhvQl7L4iZmDeA-ftim4Og    

There was a lot going on this week at the PA Capitol and work continues to try to get a budget in place by the Sunday deadline. Here are some highlights from the week as posted on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1aqPW3tYtMySPUcY/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/iPW4XyHKBf3oNVpA/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/MRTAq999kpMtkhv9/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/7ZdipDQTXzD21sM1/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/HMNCDYPoBPLBkMHn/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/2R5HH7NwBWVfMptZ/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/EhG7jnpXiU6wgbM9/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ZpTH7M8RmkWASUTD/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/s2DhksEQn8eiyWhR/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/RwnUBVxxYpHCEds3/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/HGy8LvPkMrWfaUSQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/GZB94RZN77WXGCkq/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/8dkx16UsiGUsi7y1/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Title: Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 12/31/1997 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/21/2022 12:00:00 AM

The PA House and Senate were both in session this past week at the PA Capitol in Harrisburg. Here are a few highlights that were posted on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/kpVrbTF41UPcBL54/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/uik5nA16bt1GWLqq/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/QazY1igbzN39gMnp/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/xErRDMW4up3xqnUd/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/BTANcczmJ8tWi1nF/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Gir5L55U3Jmbjwbe/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/jkV5K1hAcJqWgv8R/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Qyo2YZxaYrJzf5wh/?mibextid=WC7FNe    

The PA House and Senate were both in session this week in Harrisburg. Here are a few highlights, as posted on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/XacBkpVDrM8KK2wk/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/43GWBfQD9Ug8vQrn/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/pVnfMZ3LweFitSdt/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/XJ3jW2v9GmqTdYoH/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/kzUokt3YHpaa1AvD/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/QH6Gs5ErWZecLbtX/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/oE5iuzdYKwQpNqBs/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/V14dd8txoWRGF477/?mibextid=WC7FNe  

It was a week of long days and late nights at the PA Capitol in Harrisburg. The House and Senate passed a $47.6-billiion budget Thursday night and the Governor quickly signed it. Here are some of the highlights from the week as we posted on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/jB4x3LorzSqsLGGH/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/e6znUQoeEmS8bEVb/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/xRefuvWNigC7J8Yr/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/3XkX2ARAsyAwBKq4/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/7UMepHi21UzpeVFP/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/xWuE2TTU16vzTbGr/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/VhN9DPhZXAQfNshK/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/TjJfE13g46cUwRSt/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/zSvyP6CHK366W8hp/?mibextid=WC7FNe    

There were actually a few things happening this past week at the PA Capitol, including a committee meeting. Here are the postings we featured on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/AzvyoRbqGz9T9eUb/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ZuZMKFaYECxAHEb4/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/64FEnHSzn7y465JV/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/iHxcnGq66i1m4mtY/?mibextid=WC7FNe

The PA Senate returned to the Capitol for full sessions and committee meetings. The Bishop of Harrisburg, Timothy Senior gave the opening prayer on Tuesday. That is in the first of our Facebook posts offered here. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/gji9z8diELbaWi5E/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/JLLp8LZNLFuBAyrH/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/XRs363N9Mvpog1pe/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/wGTgGutdEcf6vX6V/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/JRyWvi2KkipabkwQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/3aBxFaPwQxATNBJj/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/L7H8rK475qyztwnM/?mibextid=WC7FNe

It was a very light week for activity inside the PA Capitol in Harrisburg. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/2twZhe3eUW5ZJvvj/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/WYgvZG5kRNGm5doS/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qK1GmVTnFY4xtKu1/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/DAmTVrp7ytqHbrYM/?mibextid=WC7FNe  

The PA House and Senate were both in session this past week at the PA Capitol. Here are the highlights as we posted them on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/91gte3oN22z3gcvd/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/36rT8WAJXtqMrdDR/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Mipw7kCWijArooH3/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/jmdqNWHwEFRMbsej/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/jmdqNWHwEFRMbsej/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/8a8QBvQ6KecfTUNp/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/sDwrwx4tiJfEw4qx/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/sDwrwx4tiJfEw4qx/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/hWRi35AmpYPNWqMH/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1RCQUhW2Tkq3kuyN/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1RCQUhW2Tkq3kuyN/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/H5sgwM6UTcTyqekr/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/QwZ9hNGA6rr9V1gz/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/3dCRP1MuPDNskLA1/?mibextid=WC7FNe  

From the USCCB – June 4, 2018 – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The case involves a Christian baker named Jack Phillips who declined in 2012 to create a custom wedding cake for a same-sex ceremony. State officials sought to compel Phillips to create such cakes under Colorado’s public accommodations law. The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Phillips under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., of Philadelphia, Chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, and Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued the following joint statement: “Today’s decision confirms that people of faith should not suffer discrimination on account of their deeply held religious beliefs, but instead should be respected by government officials. This extends to creative professionals, such as Jack Phillips, who seek to serve the Lord in every aspect of their daily lives. In a pluralistic society like ours, true tolerance allows people with different viewpoints to be free to live out their beliefs, even if those beliefs are unpopular with the government.” The USCCB filed an amicus curiae brief supporting Masterpiece Cakeshop, which can be found here: http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/amicus-briefs/upload/16-111-tsac-USCCB.pdf.        

Like many lawmakers in Harrisburg, State Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford, Fulton and Franklin Cos.) will be keeping a close eye on budget talks at the Capitol.  The process started after Governor Wolf unveiled his budget proposal earlier this month. “It’s basically the Governor saying ‘this is my wish list,’” said Topper. “That’s the way I look at it. “ There’s a good chance that Topper and his Republican colleagues will have a different set of wishes. Topper said they will be looking at what is needed to run the government efficiently. “There’s always going to be disagreement on that number. It’s a negotiation,” he said. “But from my standpoint, I’m always going to be advocating for spending less money–being more efficient with what we have and not going back to the tax payers for their hard-earned money.” One of the programs that Topper will be pushing for is the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, or EITC for short. It enables businesses to get a tax credit for contributing to a scholarship organization, educational improvement organization or a pre-K scholarship organization. “This is a way that we can make sure that businesses who want to contribute to our Catholic schools—and private schools really, whether they are Catholic or not, that we can’t give direct dollars to directly through the state, this is a chance for them to be able to contribute to their communities and get tax deductions through that. It has been a widely successful program that has benefited both the communities and the businesses they serve in, as well as the schools. “ Topper sees a lot of support for not only keeping, but also increasing the EITC. “We’ve seen increases in the EITC since I’ve been here. Speaker Turzai has been leading the charge on that, as well as a former colleague of mine, Jimmy Christiana and Senator Regan when he was Representative Regan in the House. There’s a lot of bi-partisan support for increasing the EITC. “ Another issue that Topper will keep his eye is abortion. He is part of a staunch Pro-Life Caucus at the Capitol. Like many of his colleagues he was alarmed by what happened in New York with the new abortion law. “You’ve seen a lot of—even millennials,” Topper said, “who have come to understand that – I think technology has really made a difference, when you can see these children through ultrasounds…I knew what my kids looked like before they were born. That technology wasn’t available back in the time of Roe V. Wade.” “It just wasn’t something that people could look at and understand. Now they can. The science is on our side. And I think that’s one social and cultural issue that we’ve moved to our side, the pro-life movement.” And Topper joined his colleagues in adding re-assurance to pro-lifers in PA. “This is something I don’t expect to see in Pennsylvania under this legislature but we have to have an answer for it—as we talk about the value of life at conception, what these little children mean to us as a society and how we are going to protect them.”    

PA Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) is praising a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals which will uphold the traditional practice of having a session-opening prayer. “We are pleased that the Third Circuit has found that our prayer complies with the United States Constitution,” Turzai said, “and has issued a precedent setting decision entirely in the House’s favor. As a result, we expect the House to be able to resume its tradition of welcoming guest chaplains as it has in the past.” In 2016 a group of atheists and other non-believers sued the House, claiming their exclusion as guest chaplains violated the Constitution. The plaintiffs also challenged the presiding officer’s traditional request to rise for the prayer and the pledge to the flag. Last year, a federal judge in Harrisburg ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and limited the practice to member-led prayers. But the House appealed. Late last month a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit ruled in the House’s favor on all counts. “By a 2-1 vote the panel held the House’s prayer practices were constitutional because they fit within the long history of legislative prayer in this country,” Turzai said. “The majority explained that ‘only theistic prayer can satisfy the historical purpose of appealing for divine guidance in lawmaking.’” Turzai said the panel ruled 3-0 that it is constitutional and not coercive to request that guests stand for the prayer and the pledge.              

Both the House and Senate were in session this week in Harrisburg. The PA Catholic Conference saw a number of bills passed that we support. That included–in the House– a package of 8 bills to combat human trafficking and a bill to assure that clergy members would not be prevented from visiting long-term care facilities during any future government emergencies.  There were also 3 pro-life bills that passed the House Health Committee. Here are the postings that we made this week as these events occurred. Lawmakers are back at the Capitol today! Just underway…this joint public hearing by the Education and Human Services Committees on mental health services provided to PA’s secondary students in the wake of the pandemic and resulting shutdown. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems pic.twitter.com/sypuExY2TR — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 24, 2021 Rep. Curt Sonney and Rep. Stephen Kinsey ask Sherri Smith of the PA Dept. of Education about the issue of ‘chronic absenteeism’ over the past year or so. Smith says some students thrived on remote learning while others had problems with it. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems pic.twitter.com/5ol4gjyxgT — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 24, 2021 Many lawmakers and just as many interested/frustrated residents attend this public hearing on issues facing unemployment compensation in Pennsylvania. Lawmakers have also been sharing their frustrations with the system for several months. @PaHouseDems @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/tW8QCHHGFf — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 24, 2021 The PA House Transportation Committee unanimously passes SB 445 by Sen. Bob Mensch that will provide for contributions to breast cancer research during vehicle registration. The vote was welcomed by members of the PA Breast Cancer Coalition. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems pic.twitter.com/yIFS7myHYj — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 24, 2021 It’s not often you get total consensus with PA lawmakers and residents on any issue. Maybe ever. But that’s the case with the answering of unemployment claims over the past several months. The House Labor & Industry Comm. is hearing from state officials. @PaHouseDems @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/ccFU47ALbC — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 24, 2021 PA House Transportation Comm. debates, then passes Senate Bill 114 by Sen. Lisa Boscola. It would require drivers to make reasonable efforts to clear snow and ice from their cars & trucks before driving. The bill had passed the senate last session. @SenLisaBoscola @PaSenateDems pic.twitter.com/SzeH1hrm9B — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 24, 2021 Today in PA House: the second reading for eight bills designed to combat human trafficking. While no vote was taken, it paves the way for a final vote as early as tomorrow. The PCC supports these bills in our continued efforts to fight human trafficking. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems pic.twitter.com/QoeA29Jswm — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 24, 2021 Just underway at the PA Capitol….House Health Committee is discussing and and then voting on three pro-life bills. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems pic.twitter.com/tPw8QNFari — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 Rep. Kate Klunk is giving comments on her HB 1500–the Down Syndrome Protection Act. It would protect an unborn child from being aborted solely on the basis of a diagnosis of Down syndrome. House Health Comm. will vote on it after member comments. @RepKateKlunk @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/3TXpMa9YFy — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 HB 1500 passes along party lines. @PaHouseDems @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/1fFsvhFhdu — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 Rep. Frank Ryan’s addresses the PA House Health Committee on his HB 118, which would give parents the option of burial or cremation after the death of their unborn baby. @FrankRyanCPA @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/fZbUluEd02 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 Rep. Stephanie Borowicz talks about her HB 904, the Fetal Heartbeat Bill, which would prohibit an abortion once a heartbeat is detected in the unborn baby. A vote is pending in the PA House Health Committee. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/8mwEcZtz32 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 PA House Health Committee passes HB 118. On party lines. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/ZHBSIfY7FJ — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 PA House Judiciary Comm. has passed HB 1095. It calls for a life sentence for anyone convicted of 3rd-degree murder of an unborn child who has been convicted of murder, voluntary manslaughter, murder of an unborn child or voluntary manslaughter of an unborn child. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/IJquQHkI2g — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 PA House Judiciary Comm. debates HB 659, which removes requirement for law-abiding individuals to obtain a concealed handgun permit before being allowed to carry concealed for self-defense. Sponsor Rep. Aaron Bernstine answers questions about the bill. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems pic.twitter.com/iBkQ8A4qlI — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 PA House Judiciary Comm. debates HB 659, which removes requirement for law-abiding individuals to obtain a concealed handgun permit before being allowed to carry concealed for self-defense. Sponsor Rep. Aaron Bernstine answers questions about the bill. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems pic.twitter.com/iBkQ8A4qlI — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 BEST PART OF THE WEEK HERE!! Great to see members of the Bishop Guilfoyle girls basketball team at the Capitol today!! State champions, by the way. Great job ladies!! ??? @BishopGuilfoyle @BG_LadyHoops pic.twitter.com/tiNaHM4go3 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 The PA House Judiciary Comm. passes HB 1095. It would add the murder of someone’s unborn child to the offenses that are considered in order for a convicted defendant to be sentenced to life imprisonment. Rep. Rob Kauffman answered a question about his bill. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/2BxP71pRCB — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 Extensive debate this afternoon on the PA House floor on HB 1144, which would create separate regulations for the conventional oil and gas industry and the unconventional type, aka fracking. Rep. Kathy Rapp speaks in support by answering some of the criticism. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/KrJ2xm7lQ1 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 The PA House is now passing a package of bills designed to fight human trafficking. The PCC supports these measures. They include HB 246, which prohibits evidence based on the victim’s past sexual history. Rep. Natalie Mihalek spoke on her bill. @PaHouseDems @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/I9B7dwALpr — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 The PA House also passes HB 1130 by Rep. Craig Williams, which would require convicted human traffickers to register as sex offenders. Rep. Williams talked about his bill @PaHouseDems @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/gYotE5myKH — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 The PA House has completed the passage of bills […]

Religious News Service reporter Bobby Ross, Jr. recently asked this question, “When adoption agencies can turn away gay prospective parents, what happens to the kids?” With conflicts between religious based adoption and foster care agencies and government non-discrimination regulations playing out across the country including the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, this is an important question. In March, the City of Philadelphia issued an urgent call for 300 new foster parents to provide loving homes for some of the over 6,000 kids in Philadelphia foster care. That same month, the City abruptly barred Catholic Social Services, one of the city’s top-rated foster agencies, from placing children with foster families. This decision makes it exponentially harder for hundreds of children in need of foster care to find homes. Foster homes are sitting empty, even as the city begs for more families to help in its foster care crisis. Catholic Social Services and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have been serving children throughout Philadelphia for over a century. Their Catholic mission drives them to find loving homes for all children in their care, regardless of the child’s race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. Catholic Social Services currently serves over 100 children in foster homes. No family or individual has ever complained that the agency’s Catholic mission prevented them from fostering or adopting a child. Sharonell Fulton from Overbrook Farms has been a foster parent for over 25 years. She has opened her home to over 40 children, including two children currently in her care. She strives to provide a loving, stable home and treat each child as if they were her own. To do that, Fulton relies on Catholic Social Services’ help, including around-the-clock support and access to information and resources. “What justice is there in taking stable, loving homes away from children?” Fulton said in a statement to CatholicPhilly.com. “If the city cuts off Catholic Social Services from foster care, foster moms like me won’t have the help and support they need to care for the special-needs kids.” By freezing and threatening to cancel its foster care contract with the CSS, the city is “taking away this help and causing harm and heartache to countless families like mine,” Fulton said. The children will suffer if parents like Fulton do not have the support they need. In May, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court in Philadelphia on behalf of archdiocesan Catholic Social Services (CSS), Sharonell Fulton and two other women caregivers associated with the archdiocesan agency. They asked the court to halt the city’s harmful policy. A hearing is expected later this year.

Catholic adoption agencies across the state have been curtailing or stopping their work altogether as a result of a policy by the Wolf Administration that would take away a lot of their power to decide who would be the best parents for adoption. PA Rep. Dave Zimmerman (R-Lancaster) says there is still hope that a religious exemption will be granted by lawmakers for organizations. “A number of us in the House actually held up the budget because of a religious exemption, related to the Foster care and adoption,” Zimmerman told me in his Lancaster district office. Despite their determined efforts the Governor held firm and it was kept out. “They took the religious exemption out, which means an adoption agency would have to work with any type of family arrangements, whether it’s a man and wife, or an LGBT couple. They would have to work with all of those.” Zimmerman and several of his colleagues would like to see the exemption established. They have an agreement from House and Senate leadership to run bills in the fall to make that happen. “This is just one area. So the question is ‘what’s next?’” Zimmerman said. “I believe that our country and our state were established on religious liberty, religious freedom. We need to have these religious exemptions available to business and family throughout our state. It’s very important.” Zimmerman said another issue that drew debate in the last session was the compulsory age for education. The current law requires children between the ages of eight and 17 to be in school. But new regulations installed in one of the budget codes would expand that from six to 18. Zimmerman was one of the lawmakers who opposed the change. “There are a lot of issues with that,” he said. “Some children are just not ready at six. What about someone who graduates early? What about—in our district—the Plain community that gets work permits at 15?  None of that has been really addressed at this point, so there are some real concerns about the compulsory age.” The age change was something that was being pushed by the Governor, Zimmerman said. Even though it was placed in the budget, he says there will be an effort in the fall to get the change modified. ‘I also look at it as a liberties issue,” Zimmerman added. “The parents can probably make a better decision on their children than government.” Zimmerman remains very committed to pro-life issues. He voted for the Down Syndrome Protection Act and has signed on as a co-sponsor to Rep. Stephanie Borowicz’s (R-Centre, Clinton) “heartbeat” abortion bill, which he hopes to see introduced in the fall.

Time for an update on doulas, a topic we addressed last year in our 9-month long series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues. Today we talk again with our doula expert Amy Wilt and check on legislation that has been proposed in Harrisburg to have insurance cover doula services. pic.twitter.com/Cbmwbnb9FG — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) August 8, 2023

Professor Hannah Chang Crowdfunding is changing how entrepreneurs finance their innovation. As the number of crowdfunding platforms continues to rise, competition for investor attention also intensifies. What can entrepreneurs and communicators do to heighten attention and strengthen persuasion, in order to secure greater success for their crowdfunding campaign? Associate Professor of Marketing Hannah Chang from SMU's Lee Kong Chian School of Business specialises in consumer behaviour. In this podcast, she shares a recent research where she and her collaborators investigated all product-pitch videos on online crowdfunding portal, Kickstarter using a dataset with more than 30,000 project videos and millions of support from the crowd. They observed a phenomenon that has yet been documented in prior literature, that is: having multiple voices in the videos enhances persuasion and leads to increased funding.

Professor Zhu Feida The global personal data economy is growing faster than anyone could have imagined. The current business model for data is broken – for individual users and businesses alike. On one hand, users don not have enough control over their own data, such as what data is collected and how the data is used. That challenges their privacy. Users are also not fairly rewarded for their data. On the other hand, while most businesses see the value of customer data, the data they have is fragmented and incomplete. That results in blurry customer profiles, inaccurate insights and poor recommendations. Furthermore, it is difficult for businesses to connect with their customers in a personalised way and track the effectiveness of the connection. In this podcast, Associate Professor Zhu Feida from SMU School of Information Systems shares his research on a next-generation, blockchain-based platform named Symphony. The platform seeks to empower a personal data economy by democratising and personalising data intelligence, with privacy by design.

Dr Tania Nagpaul Youth at-risk typically refers to those who may be seriously anti-social, homeless, who may have dropped out of school, taken to substance abuse or engaged in illegal activities. The factors that place these young people at risk in the first place, such as poverty, family dysfunction and disturbed neighbourhoods, are often not factored into the equation. Dr Tania Nagpaul and Ms Chen Jinwen from the Lien Centre for Social Innovation at SMU have published a study which used the Self-determination Theory offered by Deci and Ryan in a past research as a lens to better understand the needs of youth-at-risk and their fulfilment from the vantage points of both social service professionals and youth themselves. In this podcast, Dr Tania Nagpaul discusses the key findings of this research and how it generates a nuanced understanding of the needs of youth in Singapore. Additional Info Self-determination theory as a framework for understanding needs of youth at-risk: Perspectives of social service professionals and the youth themselves - by Tania Nagpaul, Jinwen Chen

As the profile of businesses engaged in disputes is now more diverse than ever, there is a need for dispute resolution mechanisms that are culturally responsive as well as internationally robust. Mediation is one mechanism that offers a flexible and confidential forum for business to resolve their differences in an effective and efficient way. Interest in mediation to resolve cross-border disputes has increased dramatically in recent years due to increasing access to the Internet and the growing number of smaller enterprises doing business internationally. Nadja Alexander is Professor of Law at SMU School of Law. She also heads the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy as its Director, and a prominent mediator, educator, consultant and writer. In a recent study, Prof Alexander had identified some of the top trends impacting the nature and practice of international mediation. She discusses these key trends and developments in this podcast.

Financial literacy in Singapore has not been analysed in much detail, despite the fact that this is one of the world’s most rapidly aging nations. In this podcast, Professor of Finance Benedict Koh from the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, discusses the key findings of his research jointly conducted with Olivia Mitchell from the University of Pennsylvania and Susann Rohwedder, Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation and Associate Director of the RAND Center for the Study of Aging. Using a unique new data-set and nationally representative survey - the Singapore Life Panel, they conducted an analysis of older Singaporeans’ financial literacy. Here, Professor Koh discusses his key findings, including: Do older Singaporeans score better on financial knowledge compared to their counterparts in the United States? What are the empirical linkages between financial literacy and retirement preparedness in Singapore? And is financial literacy positively associated with greater wealth and diversity of portfolios?

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in improving the quality of care for the elderly, be it enhancing aged care patient experience, developing home-care for an ageing population, or automating clinical processes. Associate Professor Tan Hwee Pink from SMU’s School of Information Systems, together with his team, have extensive ground experience in developing and deploying senior-centric technologies, from previous research projects at SMU. They are now collaborating with NTUC Healthcare Co-operative Ltd, a key provider of community programmes for seniors in Singapore, to use smart technology to enhance the operational efficiency and productivity of NTUC Healthcare’s centres. In this podcast, he discusses the type of technologies deployed in the project with NTUC Healthcare, the preliminary results achieved, and the challenges faced.

Building on research conducted in 2018 on the clear and positive link between high levels of psychological safety and a strong teamwork culture, Richard Smith, Professor of Strategic Management and Deputy Dean (Programmes) at the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, has now dug deeper by focusing on diversity. How does closing the gender gap within organisations in Asian countries impact overall company performance? Are employees more productive, or less, with a sense of belonging to the workplace? In this podcast, Professor Smith discusses the key findings of his research conducted in collaboration with consultancy group Great Place to Work Institute Singapore. The rigorous study, one of the largest in Asia to highlight gender differences, surveyed over 400,000 employees from more than 800 organisations located across eight countries in the Asia Pacific.

11/15/2024 - 1:00 PM - Venue: The Hanging Tree Cafe

11/14/2024 - 9:30 PM - Venue: Applebeess South

11/14/2024 - 5:00 PM - Venue: Rawlings Library

11/14/2024 - 12:00 PM - Venue: The Senate Bar & Grill

11/13/2024 - 6:30 PM - Venue: Park East

11/13/2024 - 4:00 PM - Venue: Rawlings Library