Pennsylvania's Appalachian region needs opportunities to bolster its economy, which will be the topic of a virtual summit in mid-January. The goal is to ignite Appalachia's revitalization by bringing together key advocates for two days of strategic discussions.
Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, 52 are nestled in Appalachia.
Dana Kuhnline, program director for ReImagine Appalachia, said the summit's first-day theme is "Make it in Appalachia," and what it will take to turn the Ohio River Valley into a hub for sustainable manufacturing.
"What can we manufacture in Appalachia?" Kuhnline outlined. "How can we reuse shuttered facilities, like closed steel facilities and shuttered coal plants? And what are sustainable products that Appalachia could become a hub for, that we could make in this region?"
She added manufacturing in the region would not only create good jobs and help build the local economy, it could help the state with its goal of curbing climate change. Manufacturing already contributes nearly 10% of jobs in Pennsylvania, employing more than 564,000 people.
Day Two of the summit will focus on federal funding opportunities, and how Appalachian communities can take advantage of them. Kuhnline pointed out Congress has passed a number of bills in the last couple of years, paving the way for new investments.
"There's a lot of new money for land remediation -- cleaning up old coal mines, cleaning up orphan oil and gas wells," Kuhnline explained. "There's going to be a whole funding stream set aside for improving environmental issues; that includes replacing lead pipes. There's also money for increasing the number of trees and urban improvement projects."
She noted the Inflation Reduction Act includes clean energy tax credits, with an emphasis on reaching disadvantaged populations and communities with environmental justice concerns. The ReImagine Appalachia Virtual Strategy Summit is Jan. 16 and 17 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET, both days.
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Virginia ranks third behind only Maryland and Delaware among the worst states for the average amount of back wages companies owe to their workers. Virginia employers owe an average of more than $1,600 to nearly 3,500 employees.
A report from the financial training website Goat Academy analyzing federal data found since 2021, nearly 4,800 wage theft violations have occurred.
Paul Falabella, attorney and past president of the Virginia Employment Lawyers Association, said wage theft laws were passed only recently in the Commonwealth. He pointed out a lack of oversight combined with a construction boom may have contributed to Virginia's wage theft problem.
"Virginia had no state law on wage theft and didn't have the ability for workers to sue directly," Falabella noted. "Workers had to go to either the federal or the state Department of Labor."
It changed in July 2020, when the Virginia Wage Payment Act went into effect. The law gave workers the right to sue their employers in court for wage theft, which previously was impossible.
Falabella added more resources at the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry would help address wage theft issues. But he acknowledged labor law enforcement depends on who is leading the Commonwealth.
"The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry has been underfunded for a long, long time," Falabella asserted. "It's a little better now, but it depends on who's in charge, who's in the governor's office, how robust that enforcement might be, how much attention they're going to focus on workers' rights."
The report, which analyzed U.S. Department of Labor data, found in total, more than $128 million in back wages are owed to U.S. workers.
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Democrat-backed bills in Michigan addressing pensions, health-care costs and public assistance remain stalled before heading to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for signing.
The bills -- House Bills 4665, 4666 and 4667 -- were passed by Democrats in their final days of the Michigan House majority, with bipartisan support. But they're now on hold as Republicans conduct what they call a "legal review" before sending them to the governor's desk. The bills include adding corrections officers to the state police pension system.
Richard Cardenas, director of the Michigan State Employees Association's Public Safety Division, said he sees that as a critical step for public safety.
"Obviously we want to have the best candidates coming into this profession," he said, "because it's no secret, sometimes we might be put into situations that we have to make split-second decisions under very stressful conditions."
Other media sources report Republican House Speaker Matt Hall questioned whether a new Legislature can address the actions of the previous one, so he stressed the need for the legal review before making a decision.
Sending bills from a previous session to the governor is rare. The bills in question passed the Michigan House and Senate, after hundreds of public-safety officers and supporters lobbied state lawmakers. Despite the stall, Cardenas said he's pleased with the bills' progress so far.
"To get it through the House and the Senate is obviously a huge accomplishment," he said. "There's been several attempts to get a better retirement package through the process and unfortunately, it's fallen short several times. And this is the farthest that we've ever seen it get."
In Michigan, after passing both chambers, a bill must be sent to the governor, who then has 14 days to sign or veto it. However, there's no set time for when the bill must be presented to the governor.
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More Michigan residents need access to affordable housing and health insurance, according to a lawmaker pushing for change.
Rep. Carrie Rheingans, D-Ann Arbor, a public health policy expert, marks the issues as priorities. This week, she introduced House Bill 4009 to repeal Michigan's 1988 ban on rent stabilization. She said it would restore local control and allow cities to consider measures like rent control.
Rheingans shared her personal experience of the financial strain on renters in cities like Ann Arbor, where many spend over half their income on housing.
"I'm a renter in Ann Arbor. I've been a renter there for over 20 years, because I can't afford to buy a house in the area," Rheingans explained. "My rent went up 33% from my last lease year to this lease year and there's nothing prohibiting that."
The bill has been referred to the Committee on Government Operations for review. Rheingans added she is also a strong advocate for expanding the MiCare program, created under the Affordable Care Act, to become publicly funded insurance covering all Michiganders without co-pays or coverage limits.
Nearly 500,000 Michigan residents, including 80,000 children, lack health insurance. Rheingans emphasized if MiCare could be expanded, they would be eligible for comprehensive coverage, from hospital stays and prescriptions to mental health care. With a background in public health, she called it her passion.
"I believe that every policy issue is a health issue," Rheingans outlined. "The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the access we have to medical care. All those kinds of things are items that we can work on in the world of policy."
Rheingans now represents the area of Michigan where she grew up in Jackson County. Her great-grandfather served as a minister there nearly a century ago. Her legislative tenure began two years ago this month.
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