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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Thomas Caltagirone |
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Caltagirone: House Appropriations hears testimony from state police, courts
HARRISBURG, Feb. 17 – State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone, D-Berks, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, today reacted to testimony from the Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System during their respective 2010-11 budget hearings before the House Appropriations Committee. The various state agencies and departments are appearing before the committee to discuss their portion of the governor's proposed budget.
Caltagirone was instrumental in securing a hearing for the state judicial system, which had not been offered a hearing before he intervened.
Caltagirone made the following statements:
On Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System
"The governor’s proposal for the coming year again falls far short of the judiciary’s spending needs. Structural deficits continue and we need to help counties meet their court costs. The hearing today hopefully will get the dialogue going and create a framework going forward that provides adequate and predictable funding for Pennsylvania’s courts, and that avoids the potential for future conflict."
On the Pennsylvania State Police
"Through a combination of education, enforcement and engineering, state police have helped significantly decrease fatalities on our roadways. Unfortunately, declining revenues have forced many municipalities to reduce, or even discontinue, local police services. It is imperative for us to adequately fund the state police in the upcoming budget year so that residents do not experience an interruption in the vital services our police provide."
The House Judiciary Committee has formal legislative oversight for the following executive branch functions: the Board of Pardons; Board of Probation and Parole; Department of Corrections; Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission; Office of General Counsel; Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency; Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing; Attorney General's Office (except Consumer Protection Bureau); Pennsylvania State Police; State Ethics Commission; and the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania.