On today’s episode of The Confluence:
State budget passed a week late, with big education commitments
(0:00 - 8:35 )
One week past the deadline, Pennsylvania has a new budget. The state House approved the spending plan Thursday; the Senate followed suit on Friday; and Gov. Tom Wolf signed it just a few hours later.
The $45.2 billion dollar budget includes about $2.4 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds and does not include a tax increase. In fact, the corporate net income tax has been trimmed by a full percentage point.
But the most historic investment, according to the Wolf administration, was in education. The governor’s original intention was to allocate $1.8 billion for K-12 schools.
“In the release that the governor had made, his administration was claiming that, in fact, they did get the $1.8 billion that they had been hoping for, for education. But the administration was counting other things, other increases to education across the board,” says WESA’s Capitol Bureau Chief Sam Dunklau.
Dunklau says the final funding includes American Rescue Plan money for higher education in addition to K-12 schools.
Despite new ownership, the Penguins off season is ‘business as usual’
(8:41 - 17:26)
The last several days plus the next few ahead are about the present and future of the Pittsburgh Penguins on the ice. The NHL entry draft has been completed and free agency officially begins Wednesday.
However, teams are allowed to sign their own free agents prior to the open market, which the Pens did by committing to forward Bryan Rust, back up goalie Casey DeSmith and the most important signing, defenseman Kris Letang. Letang signed a six-year, $36.6 million contract extension.
“He's played his entire career for the Penguins, and he definitely has a great friendship with Sidney Crosby… he wants to finish things here where he started things,” says Mike DeFabo, who covers the Penguins for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “More importantly, I think, is why the Penguins would want him. If you lose a guy who plays 25 plus minutes a night who quarterbacks your power play and who's been a leader and veteran in your locker room, that's a guy you're not going to be able to replace.”
Arts organizations are assessing their recovery since they closed their doors due to the pandemic
(17:29 - 22:30)
Last fall, theater troupes and other nonprofit performing-arts groups launched their first full seasons since the pandemic began. How did it go, and how does the future look? 90.5 WESA’s Bill O’Driscoll reports much depends on the audience members who have yet to return.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
