PathWays PA Policy Blog

On Friday, May 3 from 9AM-12PM at the Pennsylvania Convention Center , Room 119A located at 1101 Arch St in Philadelphia there will be a discussion on local taxes. It will be the subject of a half-day symposium featuring tax-policy experts, business and community leaders, government officials, and a group of bi-partisan city and state elected officials. A first panel discussion, moderated by Steve Highsmith, host of NBC 10's weekly program, NBC10 @Issue , will focus on Philadelphia's tax structure, tax policy, and various ideas for changing them. The second panel discussion, moderated by Sandy Shea, editorial page editor of the Philadelphia Daily News , will provide perspectives on political aspects of tax policy choices. RSVP

The Foster Child Opportunity Act seeks to ensure that abused and neglected immigrant children have an opportunity to obtain the legal immigrant status to which they are entitled prior to aging out of the foster care system. Immigrant children involved in the child welfare system are often eligible for special forms of immigration relief, including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) but early identification is critical given that a child can lose SIJS eligibility once the court terminates jurisdiction over the youth. More often than not, court and child welfare officials are unaware of immigration relief options available, leaving these children at risk of deportation at any time and drastically limiting their educational and work opportunities when they "age out" of the system. Sign-on here . The deadline is 6PM tomorrow! Email Shadi Houshyar atshadih@firstfocus.net to sign your organization on to the letter.

More than 100,000 children in PA are lifted out of poverty each year by the federal Earned Income Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits (EITC and CTC). The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) help working families make ends meet by both rewarding work and recognizing the additional expenses of raising children. These tax credits have a strong history of bipartisan support and have been praised and expanded by Republican and Democratic administrations alike. The EITC and CTC have an incredibly beneficial impact for children, families and the economy. Protect these essential tax credits and ask that 2009 enhancements to the credits be made permanent by adding your name to our sign-on letter. Read the letter and add your name.  For more information about the 2009 enhancements and the economic impact of these credits in Pennsylvania, check out PCCY's fact sheets.

The Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 (H.R. 1406) is a smoke-and-mirrors bill that offers a pay cut for workers without any guaranteed flexibility or time off to care for their families or themselves. The bill's supporters claim H.R. 1406 would give hourly workers more flexibility and time with their loved ones by allowing them to choose paid time off, rather than time-and-a-half wages, as compensation for working more than 40 hours in one week ("comp time"). But the irony is that workers will only get more time with their families after they've spent long hours away at work. And there is nothing in H.R. 1406 that guarantees that workers will be able to use the comp time they have earned when they need it. The next step for the bill is floor consideration, which is expected in the second week of May. Please read the letter and sign on in opposition .

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) can help you dispose of unused prescription drugs in a safe way. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. It's happening Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It connects you to various drop-off locations where you can dispose of old prescription drugs. With Prescription Take-Back Day, you can dispose of your old medicine the safe way. In the four previous Take-Back events, the DEA in conjunction with other state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription drugs. Visit the DEA Got Drugs? website or call 1(800) 882-9539 for locations.

MomsRising and the AFL-CIO invite you to a special tweetchat to talk paid sick days! The #WellnessWed chats are a great way to engage a grassroots audience, answer questions, and raise the profile of paid sick days campaigns at a particularly timely moment because as you all know: In the last three months, Portland, Oregon passed a paid sick days ordinance as did the Philadelphia City Council. New York City is close to becoming the largest city in the country to pass a paid sick days bill. State legislatures, including Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont, and more, are also taking up this important measure. The Healthy Families Act, which would set an important minimum national standard, has been re-introduced in Congress. You are invited to be partners, advocates and champions, share resources, updates, lessons learned and more. Please join MomsRising on Twitter at #WellnessWed on Wednesday, April 24 at 2 PM!

On May 8, join PathWays PA to share in wine, cheese, and chocolate at the Historic Duportail House. The event honors Rita Forjohn and features a Silent Auction and a performance by Lights Out!