Justin Sweitzer

1 week ago | cityandstatepa.com | Justin Sweitzer

Skip to Content An effort to create a private school voucher program using state tax dollars has new life in Harrisburg, thanks to a Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee vote Tuesday to advance a proposal designed to allow students in low-performing public schools to use state-funded scholarships to attend a private school of their choice. The bill, Senate Bill 10, was reported out of committee with an 8-3 vote; Democratic state Sen.

1 week ago | cityandstatepa.com | Justin Sweitzer

Pennsylvania lawmakers took a small step Monday to advance legislation that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in the commonwealth, with lawmakers on the House Health Committee voting 14-12 to report the bill out of committee.

2 weeks ago | cityandstatepa.com | Justin Sweitzer

State Rep. Tarik Khan, a registered nurse and nurse practitioner with a Ph.D from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing, spoke with City & State to offer his thoughts on the state of public health in Pennsylvania and the U.S., while also offering input on how lawmakers can prepare for future public health crises. This conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

2 weeks ago | cityandstatepa.com | Justin Sweitzer

Erin Mrenak spoke with City & State to talk about the county’s ongoing public health initiatives, lessons learned from COVID-19 and how public health leaders can improve public trust in the aftermath of the pandemic. This conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. What is your department doing to protect public health? We offer some core services here, as do all the local health departments in Pennsylvania. We do STI testing and education. We have a tuberculosis program.

2 weeks ago | cityandstatepa.com | Justin Sweitzer

It’s been just five years since COVID-19 came on the scene, killing more than 7 million people worldwide, upending life across the globe. But today, it’s an older, more familiar virus that is attracting the attention of state officials and public health leaders.