The Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee is making education the topic of its first budget hearing. New Majority Chairman Matt Bradford says the decision to hear from the education department first underscores the importance of education, especially in light of a recent Commonwealth Court ruling. It said that Pennsylvania’s current education funding system based on state aid and property tax revenues is discriminatory and favors students in wealthy districts. Testimony from the state Education Department will begin when the House budget hearings start March 20th.