AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
July 7, 2022
Issue
University of Pittsburgh Funding Restricted
Details
Rep Jerry Knowles (R-Schuylkill) successfully introduced an amendment to the proposed state budget that would require PA’s four state-related universities (Penn State, Lincoln, Temple and University of Pittsburgh) to promise they are not conducting research with fetal tissue from aborted babies in order to receive state subsidies. The amendment passed with a 108 to 92 vote. Three Republicans – Lori Mizgorski (Allegheny), Christopher Quinn (Delaware), and Todd Stephens (Montgomery) – joined all the Democrats in voting against the amendment.
Democrat legislators don’t mind just giving the four schools the $597 million combined funds, no questions asked. Of that dollar amount, the University of Pittsburgh would get $155 million in the new budget.
- Democratic House Appropriations Chairman Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) said, “Unfortunately, certain right wing websites have made an issue out of largely whole cloth and conflated and a bunch of different issues . . . .”
- Other Democratic lawmakers say the program at Pittsburgh complies with all laws and State Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) says the program is “groundbreaking research” that is “improving the lives of people every day.”
- State Rep Mary Isaacson (D-Philadelphia) says, “People get lost on some of their policy priorities and they’re sticking their nose into the budget process with that. We need to make sure we separate the two.” (Note from the AFA of PA: Democrats also stick their policy priorities into the budget process!)
So, the legislature missed the June 30th budget deadline and they are now desperate to get something passed this week.
Action Steps
Contact your State Senator and State Rep by clicking here and ask him or her to only support a budget that contains the Knowles amendment.
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