Posts

Radio PA Roundtable – September 12, 2014

On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman visits a training seminar for police and corrections dogs; the city of Philadelphia moves to decriminalize marijuana; and the NCAA lifts some key sanctions it had levied against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting, commentary and analysis on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

Bag Ban at Penn State This Fall

Saying it’s an important added level of security, Penn State University has announced a ban on all bags, backpacks and purses at home sporting events this fall.

The policy was first put in place for the Blue-White spring football practice game in April. That was just after the backpack bombings at the Boston Marathon. The new policy impacts sporting events held at Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center, Rec Hall and any other campus venue.

University officials say you will be allowed to carry one clear one-gallon plastic bag for items needed for medical and/or child care needs, but all items will be subject to inspection.

The school points to similar policies in place at Michigan and Michigan State as examples of bag bans at other Big 10 schools.

 

Penn State Fine Money Staying Put…For Now

When Penn State was ordered to pay a $60 million fine among the NCAA sanctions announced last summer, 25% of that money was designated to be spent on programs within the state. That wasn’t good enough for Pennsylvania Senator Jake Corman, who filed a lawsuit demanding that all of the money go to child abuse prevention programs and educational organizations in the Keystone State.

That lawsuit has yet to be resolved, but in the meantime, Corman’s office has announced that the NCAA has agreed not to “disperse or otherwise dissipate” any of the $12 million paid so far by the university. It’s part of a preliminary injunction filed by Corman, who believes all of the fine money should stay in-state.

In a separate lawsuit, Governor Tom Corbett is seeking to overturn all of the NCAA sanctions handed down to Penn State.

Governor Corbett Announces Lawsuit Against NCAA Over Penn State Penalties

Governor Corbett is suing the NCAA in an effort to have the sanctions against Penn State thrown out.  He announced the federal anti-trust suit in State College.

The Governor is calling the sanctions against Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal arbitrary and illegal.  He said after months of research, he has concluded the sanctions were overreaching. He says they didn’t punish those charged, they punished past, present and future students of the University. Corbett believes the NCAA had no authority to punish the school.

Governor Corbett says Penn State had no practical alternative but to accept the sanctions.  He says the NCAA seized upon the opportunity for publicity for their own benefit to make a showing of aggressive discipline on the backs of the citizens of the Commonwealth and Penn State University.

The Governor consulted with Attorney General Linda Kelly before proceeding with the legal action, but did not consult with incoming Attorney General Kathleen Kane.  He says the suit is not a political case, it’s being filed on behalf of the citizens of Pennsylvania, the businesses in State College and Centre County and throughout Pennsylvania that are being harmed by this.

The sanctions banned the school from bowl games for four years. They also stripped the school of  a number of scholarships and removed 112 victories from the record books.

The NCAA issued a statement calling the legal action without merit, saying  it’s an affront to all of the victims in this tragedy. The University issued a statement saying it’s not a party to the suit and has not been involved in its preparation.

 

RadioPA Roundtable

Radio PA Roundtable 11.16.12

On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman brings you legislative reviews from the Pennsylvania Farm bureau and the state Senate Majority Leader. Also, PA Auditor General Jack Wagner releases a 100+ page report on Penn State University and AAA weighs in on how Sandy will impact Thanksgiving travel this week and used car sales in the coming months.

 

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable11-16-12.mp3]