The Pennsylvania Health Access Network, a coalition of organizations supportive of Health Care reform gathered today in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building to rally around several new health care related bills. The bills, Senate Bill 1 and SB 5, as well as House Bill 1 and HB 746 are designed at improving access, affordability, and the quality of health care offered throughout the Commonwealth. Senator Ted Erikson (R-Delaware) and Representative Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne) were in attendance and spoke towards the importance of reforming health care in Pennsylvania to benefit all residents. Check the Capitol Tool Box later for more information.
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Posted by intern | Tags: adult BASIC, food, Health Care | Category: Capitol View, Face to Face, Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
In front of over 300 Pennsylvanian senior citizens, and amid chants of “there’s no place like home,” state legislators and senior advocate associations asked Governor Edward Rendell today to use the lottery surplus to improve conditions for seniors across the state. With an estimated $200 million surplus, representatives and advocate programs described the changes necessary to provide the best care for older Pennsylvanians. Crystal Lowe, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging, remarked that many senior facilities statewide are in dire need of upgrade and renovations. AARP Pennsylvania President Estella Hyde stressed the importance of using surplus money to help fund home and community care programs, as opposed to nursing homes. Numerous state representatives and senators stopped by the rally to offer support, and explain their positions. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the complete story. Posted by intern | Tags: AARP, pre-paid wireless service, senior citizens | Category: Face to Face, Freemium Content, House Aging, Press Conference, Senate Law & Justice Committee | Comments are closed | Share:
At a press conference today, Governor Rendell announced he intends to raise the PACENET income limit to allow 30,000 more seniors to join the program. The Governor said income limits for individuals would increase from $23,500 to $30,000, and for couples from $31,500 to $40,000. The expansion would come at no additional cost to the state, the Governor said, due to increased cost savings derived in part from legislatively requiring pharmaceutical companies to offer the same rebate levels to PACENET as it does to Medicaid Part D. At the press conference, Governor Rendell also offered his thoughts on a number of budget-related issues. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story. Posted by Mike | Tags: junior driver licenses, Massage, Medicaid, PACENET | Category: Administration, Face to Face, Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Former House Minority Whip Mike Veon on Tuesday filed court documents alleging former caucus leader and now Majority Whip Bill DeWeese (D-Greene) engaged in the same illegal activity that led to Veon being charged with multiple counts of public corruption last year, The Associated Press reports. Attorney General Tom Corbett charged Veon and 11 other people connected to the House Democratic Caucus with misusing millions of dollars of taxpayer money for political gain. The investigation, which is still ongoing, has come to be known as “Bonusgate.” Veon is arguing the charges against him should be dropped because Corbett chose to selectively prosecute him and not others state officials who similarly committed crimes. The documents filed said Corbett’s political aspirations caused him to decide who should or shouldn’t be charged. The attorney general’s office denied the allegation. “Veon’s motion is full of frivolous allegations that will never stand up in court,” Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley told the AP. “In terms of DeWeese, what the attorney general has said from the beginning is that the investigation is continuing and we will follow the evidence wherever it leads.” A statement from DeWeese said the attorney general decides who is and isn’t prosecuted. Continue reading Veon Implicates DeWeese in 'Bonusgate' Posted by Mike | Tags: Ben Franklin Institutes, bonusgate | Category: LBFC, News and Views | Comments are closed | Share:
The committee met to consider six bills. Reported out as amended were HB 155, HB 352, HB 1321. Reported out as committee were HB 117, HB 1151 and HB 1335. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story. Posted by Jeff | Tags: securities, Transportation | Category: Committee Voting Meeting, House Tourism and Recreational Development, House Transportation | Comments are closed | Share:
The Senate Judiciary Committee met this morning to consider four bills. SB 220 was reported as committed, SB 264 was reported with an amendment extending the timeframe to 45 days; SR 52 was reported as committed; and SB 746 was reported with an amendment that incorporates SB 443 into the bill. This amendment generated extensive discussion about the necessity of the subject, and appropriateness to include it. Senator White voted against the bill as amended and Senator Piccola voted against both the bill and the amendment Look for the complete story in the Capitol Toolbox later this afternoon. Posted by Kim | Category: Committee Voting Meeting, Press Conference, Senate Judiciary | Comments are closed | Share:
The committee met to consider one bill. SB 170 was unanimously reported as committed. House Appropriations Chairman Evans announced the committee will take up SB 850 on Monday, June 8, 2009. He stated he would like to gather input from members, since the committee has already heard from the public in the recently-held hearings. Posted by Rebecca | Tags: Budget | Category: Floor Update, House Agriculture & Rural Affairs, House Appropriations | Comments are closed | Share:
The committee met to consider five bills. SB 736, SB 281 and SB 441 were reported as amended. SB 893 was reported as committed and SB 553 was passed over. Check the PLS Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story. Posted by Matt | Category: Senate Education | Comments are closed | Share:
The committee held a public hearing with Department of Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak to discuss the Graduation Competency Exams or Keystone Exams. Chairman Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin) expressed frustration with the Secretary because despite his repeated calls for “legislative buy-in” the Department went ahead and signed a contract with Data Recognition Corporation. Secretary Zahorchak stated “I have been disappointed – and somewhat confused – by the suggestion that awarding this contract somehow scuttles the emerging consensus on the need for stronger graduation requirements.” Chairman Piccola said that the Department is “asking us to kill a mosquito with a sledgehammer” by running SB 281 which would prohibit the Department from developing statewide exams unless an Act is approved by the General Assembly. Secretary Zahorchak responded “the sledgehammer approach will punish a generation of high school students, not the Department of Education.” Check the PLS Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story. Posted by Matt | Category: Senate Education | Comments are closed | Share:
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