State Events 

Current Events

Legislative Update: SB 1250 (Marriage Amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution)
(Added 4-29-2008)

The proposed Marriage Amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution, Senate Bill 1250, sponsored by Senator Mike Brubaker (R-36) is moving quickly through the Pennsylvania Senate. According to APSCUF Assistant Director of Governmental Relations Laura Statler, there is a good chance that it will pass. The bill has currently gone through two hearings, one on March 18 and one on April 10, 2008. It was voted successfully out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be discussed next in a hearing by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 9:00 am in the Harrisburg Capitol, Room 8E-A East Wing.

According to Statler, after the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing is complete, the bill may quickly be voted out of the Committee to the full Senate. She notes the urgency for the Senate to approve this legislation sending it to the (House). Constitutional Amendments require both chambers to pass the bill in two consecutive sessions.

Statler explains APSCUF's concerns this way:

APSCUF is concerned because the language in the legislation has the potential to bring legal challenges to the agreements between APSCUF and PASSHE to provide for benefits to domestic partners of PASSHE faculty and coaches. Though the legislation may not end our ability to extend these benefits, there at least could be a frame time where it would be brought up for legal challenge in court. Though this issue can be very personal to our members, we must realize that the legislation could potentially impact our current collective bargaining rights, negatively impact PASSHE economically by having our faculty leave the system and create obstacles in our ability to attract and maintain quality faculty and coaches.

What Can You Do (from Laura Statler):

Keep your campus aware of the harm of this legislation and encourage colleagues to contact their state Senators and the Senate Leadership. From my searches on the internet, the supporters of this legislation have a significant grassroots effort going on that will not be stopped unless APSCUF faculty and coaches work with other opponents of this legislation to keep pressure on their legislators. Editorials in the local newspaper education the public about the harm of this legislation is also a viable technique. Most importantly, all faculty members and coaches concerned with this legislation should contact Senator Gib Armstrong, Appropriations Committee Chair and Senator Dominic Pileggi, the Majority Leader and request their opposition to this legislation.

--GWR

Glenn W. Richardson Jr.
Associate Professor of Political Science
APSCUF-KU

SB 1250 (PDF Format)

Vote Count on Marriage Amendment (PDF Format)

Senate Appropriations Committee (including contact info) (Excel Format)

Full Senate Roster (including contact info) (Excel Format)

Testimony by APSCUF Member (PDF Format)

Testimony by the Philadelphia Bar Association and Others Opposed the to the Marriage Amendment

Talking Points (provided by Equality Advocates) (PDF Format)

Two Sample Editorials (PDF Format)

Negotiations Consultant Update (Added 4-16-2008)

In response to substantial and systemic problems with the APSCUF negotiations process in 2006-2007, Legislative Assembly charged our state leadership to contract a consultant to review past practices and make recommendations to improve them.

The end result is a report submitted by Allen Brawer of the Policy Research Group in April 2008. Among the main recommendations are:

• Hiring a professional negotiator
• Reduction of the negotiations team to 3-4 individuals
• Designation of the fourteen chapter presidents as the official negotiations committee
• Alliance building with other state and national unions

Implementing the proposed changes was a dominant topic at the April 2008 Legislative Assembly. During the meeting the assembly directed chapter presidents to solicit input from their membership and make specific policy recommendations at the next state meeting this Fall.

--Mike Gambone

Dr. Michael D. Gambone
Professor of History
APSCUF-KU

Negotiations Process Recommendations (PDF Format)

Negotiations Revisions PowerPoint (PDF Format)

Proposed Bylaws Revisions (PDF Format)

Archive

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Last Updated 04/29/2008
Email the webmaster (Will Jefferson): APSCUFJefferson@gmail.com

APSCUF, 319 North Front Street, PO Box 11995, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1995
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