The House returned to the Floor to announce Rep. Dwight Evans has been appointed the Chairman of the Conference Committee on HB 1416. The Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow at Noon in the Majority Caucus Room.
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Before considering non-preferreds on the Senate Floor, Senator Costa made a motion to declare the bill unconstitutional, and referenced Art. III Sec. 21 of the PA constitution regarding funding priorities. He argued that the bills should not be considered while the General Fund bill is still being debated. The motion failed with a vote of 20-30, with the Senate Republicans voting down the motion and choosing to proceed with consideration of the bills. Posted by lindsay | Category: Floor Update | Comments are closed | Share:
The committee met to consider six bills. SB 168 was reported as amended with Senator Pat Vance (R-Cumberland) voting in the negative. SB 369, SB 535, SB 899, SB 1042, and HB 1770 were unanimously reported as committed. Posted by Matt | Category: Senate Appropriations | Comments are closed | Share:
Hundreds of state workers mobbed the steps outside the Capitol Building today to put pressure on lawmakers to pass a budget immediately and fully compensate workers for missed pay. Union members and state employees from across the Commonwealth joined together in rally cries and chants demanding the Governor and legislators end the budget battle and give peace of mind back to 70,000 state workers struggling to make ends meet. Leading the rally was Dave Fillman, the Executive Director of AFSCME Council 13 who called pay-less paydays “a disgrace” and said “28 days without a budget should be a crime.” Check the Capitol Tool Box later for more information. Posted by intern | Tags: Budget, Mechanics' Lien Law, payless payday, rainy day fund, state workers | Category: Face to Face, Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Sandi Vito spoke in front of the committee today to explain and answer questions about the stimulus funds received through the AARA. Secretary Vito started her presentation by explaining that under the AARA, unemployment claimants will receive an additional $25 a week. The AARA also extends the number of weeks that the federal government will pay unemployment benefits. The Secretary focused on the stimulus’ programs to help the unemployed find work, and on job training programs to help state employees when the economy picks up. The Secretary then answered a few questions from the members of the committee. Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story. Posted by intern | Tags: EITC, Federal stimulus, sexual orientation, unemployment | Category: House Judiciary, House Labor & Industry | Comments are closed | Share:
by Alex Roarty Governor Ed Rendell said Monday he will push a “stopgap†budget bill later this week if negotiations over the spending plan continue, as they did this weekend, to stall. This measure would allow the state to pay roughly 77,000 state workers scheduled to work without pay until a deal is reached. Details of the plan will be released mid-week, but the governor said it would “get government back to work.†Pennsylvania government is 27 days late with its budget, and the administration has said it cannot pay its workers without one in place. The unexpected announcement – the governor has previously opposed stopgaps in this and previous years – could alter the dynamics of budget talks. State employees’ payless paydays added urgency to negotiations, and lawmakers, including Democrats, said afterward they were concerned the stopgap bill could remove the impetus to reach a deal. House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) sees the measure as a double-edged sword, said spokeswoman Johnna Pro. The chairman is keenly aware of the difficulty the impasse has caused many state workers, she said, but he would prefer to focus on coming to a budget agreement. Asked if the measure could remove Continue reading Governor Floats Stopgap Bill; Legislature Lukewarm to Idea Posted by Mike | Tags: Budget, Reapportionment | Category: Capitol View, LBFC, News and Views, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy | Comments are closed | Share:
The committee met to consider three bills and one resolution. SB 1007, and SB 1009 were unanimously reported as amended. SB 993 was unanimously reported as committed and SR 156 was reported as amended. Check the PLS Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story. Posted by Matt | Category: Senate Education | Comments are closed | Share:
Unable to get a quorum at this morning’s Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee meeting, Chairwoman Earll and members nevertheless put acting DCED Secretary George Cornelius through his paces, with questions ranging from the department’s dealing with stimulus money, to budget cuts and how to cope with distressed cities and municipalities. The committee will meet later in the day to vote on the acting Secretary’s confirmation, but check the Capitol Toolbox for the full Q&A from this morning. Posted by Mike | Tags: conservatorship, DCED, EITC, Federal stimulus | Category: Committee Voting Meeting, Senate Community, Economic & Rec. Development | Comments are closed | Share:
GOVERNOR TELLS SENATE GOP TO “GET REAL,†CONSIDERS STOPGAP OPTIONS As the budget stalemate enters its fifth week, Governor Edward Rendell said yesterday, “It is time for the Senate Republicans to get real. It is time for them to face the facts. It is time for them to be willing to absorb some pain because if they don’t, we are never getting out of here.†He described talks this past weekend as “positive and beneficial†but expressed agreement with Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi’s (R-Delaware) characterization that “we’re very far apart.†Check the PLS Capitol Toolbox to read the full story.  RENDELL’S NEW $28 BILLION PROPOSAL NEWS TO SENATE REPUBLICANS Governor Ed Rendell and Senate Republicans are disputing how much spending the governor included in his budget proposal to lawmakers during this weekend’s negotiations. The state’s chief executive said during a Monday afternoon press conference that he has lowered his request to $28 billion, which is $800 million less than his original proposal. But Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) told reporters afterward his impression was the governor still proposed to spend between $28.5 billion and $28.6 billion. Go Continue reading Eye Opener – July 28, 2009 Posted by Matt | Category: Eye Opener | Comments are closed | Share:
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