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June 29, 2010, 3:54 pm
Following many hours of negotiations, Governor Rendell held a press conference this afternoon to announce that an agreement has been reached with legislative leaders on a 2010-11 state budget. He said that at this point he is “fairly confident” the pieces will be in place by the end of tomorrow night, meaning that for the first time in years the state budget will have been completed on time.
The governor called the budget a “conservative” one that is good for the people of Pennsylvania, though not without its pain. A number of state agencies, including DEP, DCNR and L&I will have their funding cut by around 10 percent.
The budget agreement includes binding language that a Marcellus Shale severance tax will need to be passed no later than October 1. The specific details of the tax, including an overall rate and the local share, will be negotiated as a special task force on the issue begins work. Several other proposed taxes, including on smokeless tobacco and cigars, were not a part of the final deal.
Though reiterating it is a good budget, Governor Rendell said there are still “potential storm clouds” that could affect the agreement. In particular the
Continue reading Rendell: “We have a budget agreement”
June 29, 2010, 1:16 pm
The Senate Judiciary Committee met this morning to consider several bills and a judicial nomination. The nomination of Robert Freedberg as a judge on the Superior Court was unanimously moved forward. The committee considered several bills, all of which were moved forward unanimously with minimal discussion, except for SB 99 which would create a criminal penalty for negligent parents. The bill was amended and reported with Senators Earll and Gordner voting in the negative due to concerns that the bill would create a crime for poor parenting.
Look for the complete story in the Capitol Toolbox later this afternoon.
June 29, 2010, 1:01 pm
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee held a hearing this morning on milk pricing, specifically the over order premium and stranded costs. The committee heard from the Department of Agriculture, which offered two recommended statutory changes, from dairy producers, cooperatives, and milk dealers.
Look for the complete story on the Capitol Toolbox this evening.
June 29, 2010, 12:43 pm
The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee met today to hear testimony concerning recent incidents at Marcellus Shale drilling sites, as well as how emergency services and drilling companies themselves could maintain a safe and prepared environment. For details on the discussion, check out the Capitol Toolbox later this afternoon.
June 29, 2010, 11:52 am
The House Judiciary Committee met today to cover a wide range of bills. It was announced that HB 2600 (firearms) would be held until tomorrow during House recess. HB 65 (dealing with detectives) was amended and then passed while HB 2464 (further providing for sexual abuse of children) was reported as committed. After a great deal of discussion on SB 1161, dealing with pre-release of low risk offenders, the committee ultimately held the bill for more work. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story.
June 29, 2010, 11:50 am
This morning, the House Insurance Committee reported out Rep. Barbin’s HB 2573, which creates the Discount Plan Organization Act, based upon the NAIC Model law. A technical amendment was adopted and there was unanimous support. Rep. Shapiro’s legislation to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HB 2462, was reported as committed by a vote of 23-2. There was productive discussion on the bill, and believing Rep. Shapiro is “open-minded” about it, Chairman Tony DeLuca encouraged members to submit floor amendments and work with him on improving the bill before final passage. Check the Capitol Toolbox later this afternoon for the full story.
June 29, 2010, 11:30 am
This morning a joint hearing of the House Finance and Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development committees heard testimony from various stakeholders on companion legislation HB 2340 and SB 1279, which would require DCED to submit a unified economic development budget and increase reporting on outcomes from government subsidies. The bills also include a provision tying subsidies to certain wage average industry levels – something the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry said it opposes. In addition to the Chamber and DCED, representatives from the Keystone Research Center, the AFL-CIO and the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association offered testimony. Check the Committee News section of the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story
June 29, 2010, 11:01 am
The Senate Republican Policy Committee conducted an informational public hearing on Senator John Eichelberger’s (R-Blair) term limit legislation. SB 1304 would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to limit an individual to serving no more than a total of 12 years in the House and a total of 12 years in the Senate over the course of his or her lifetime. Jennifer Drage Bowser from the National Conference of State Legislatures provided an overview of the history, status and effects of term limits in other states. Senator Eichelberger provided an overview and background on his legislation. Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story.
June 29, 2010, 10:41 am
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee considered a number of bills this morning, dealing with several hot topics such as mineral rights and the creation of state offices for energy efficiency standards. The two most debated bills focused on the creation of an Energy Procurement and Development Agency and strengthened mandates on oil heating standards. While Chairman Camille George stressed the need to create job opportunities in the energy industry in state to ensure that they’re not moving out of state, several committee members argued that stronger regulations on the energy market is going to hurt the workers and consumers more than help them.
HB 1436, HB 2601, HB 1909, HB 2578 and HB 2591 were reported as committed, and HB 1450 was reported as amended. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the complete story.
June 29, 2010, 9:21 am
LEADERS, GOVERNOR FACE MID-DAY TUESDAY DEADLINE FOR BUDGET
Legislative leaders and Governor Ed Rendell are in a scramble to reach a budget deal by mid-day after negotiations that spilled into the early morning hours Tuesday failed to produce an agreement. If a deal is not reached by Tuesday afternoon, lawmakers will likely miss the budget’s June30 deadline, which could deal a serious setback to the negotiations. “The thought was if we don’t have an on-time budget, we would go back and renegotiate the elements we conceded to get an on-time budget,” Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) told reporters at about 2:20 a.m. after the night’s final meeting. “It’s still possible to get an on-time budget, but it would require a suspension of the rules.” Click here to read the News and Views article.
PILEGGI FEATURED AT PRESS CLUB LUNCHEON
Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi was the featured speaker at today’s Press Club Luncheon, and the Delaware County senator’s comments revolved mainly around the 2010-11 budget, whose deadline for passage is Wednesday. With less than sixty hours to go before the deadline hits, Senator Pileggi said negotiations with Governor Rendell, which broke down on
Continue reading Eye Opener – June 29, 2010
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