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December 29, 2011, 9:30 am
HARRISBURG BUDGET WILL PASS, MAYOR MIGHT VETO
According to an article in the Patriot News, a final Harrisburg budget for 2012 will contain items that people — specifically Mayor Linda Thompson — will not like, one City Council member said Wednesday night. “There will be a budget passed,” council member Susan Brown-Wilson said. “She may veto it, but there will be a budget passed.” The council delayed a final vote on the 2012 budget until 5:15 tonight, while members continue to consider their options in filling a budget gap. Brown-Wilson said there were “still a lot of unanswered questions.” Click here to read the Patriot News article.
REPUBLICAN TO CONTEST DINNIMAN’S SEAT
According to an article in the West Chester Daily Local, the chairman of the East Fallowfield Board of Supervisors has announced that he is entering the race for the state Senate 19th District.Republican Chris Amentas, 36, will challenge incumbent Democrat Andy Dinniman, of West Whiteland. Thus far, no other Republicans have announced they will run for that seat. Dinniman has held the seat since 2006. Amentas said he is running for office because he believes many people do not have confidence in
Continue reading Eye Opener – December 29, 2011
December 28, 2011, 9:43 am
FANS OF PRIVATE LIQUOR SALES HOPE FOR VICTORY IN 2012
According to an article in the Morning Call, supporters of dumping Pennsylvania’s state-owned wine and liquor stores and replacing them with private retailers are hoping 2012 is their year. But they have a lot of work to do. State lawmakers left for the holidays last week, leaving behind liquor privatization legislation that — after it was amended by the House Liquor Control Committee — would allow the state store system to live on, and give beer distributors the option of purchasing a license (for $50,000) to sell wine. The legislation bears little resemblance to the privatization plan announced this summer by Republican House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, which would have scrapped the state liquor store system entirely and overhauled booze taxes, auctioning off 1,200 retail wine and liquor licenses to private sellers. Click here to read the Morning Call article.
NATURAL GAS PIPELINE SAFETY BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
According to an article in the Towanda Daily Review, Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law Rep. Matt Baker’s (R-Bradford/Tioga) legislation establishing regulatory oversight of natural gas pipelines in the Commonwealth to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
Continue reading Eye Opener – December 28, 2011
December 27, 2011, 9:37 am
CASH TOLLS ON TURNPIKE TO CLIMB ANOTHER 10 PERCENT
According to an article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, drivers of passenger cars who make the same trek will pay $30.80 traveling west and $35.55 going east as a 10 percent increase in cash tolls — the fourth in four years — kicks in. Motorists who have E-ZPass are being spared any increase, as the turnpike commission continues to encourage use of the electronic toll collection method that is now in the vehicles of more than 60 percent of turnpike patrons. A cross-state trip with E-ZPass costs $26.19 westbound and $30.17 eastbound. The difference comes from the fact that eastbound motorists pay their first toll the Pennsylvania state line; westbound motorists pay their last toll at the Warrendale mainline plaza. Click here to read the Pittsburgh Post Gazette article.
NEW DRIVER LAW BEGINS TODAY
According to an article in the Scranton Times, a new state law aimed at improving the safety of teenagers behind the wheel will begin Tuesday. The law makes not wearing a seat belt a primary offense for a driver under 18 – meaning they can be stopped solely for that violation
Continue reading Eye Opener – December 27, 2011
December 22, 2011, 12:05 pm
A group of Allegheny County Representatives led by House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) held a press conference today to discuss House Bill 2052, legislation aimed at ending the ongoing UPMC/Highmark dispute that effect as many as many as three million insureds in Western Pennsylvania. All legislators speaking at the press conference, including House Minority Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny), urged the Senate to take up the measure as soon as possible.
Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story.
December 21, 2011, 10:14 am
The Department of Community and Economic Development today announced Pennsylvania received a $29.2 million allocation of federal funding from the US Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Sec. C. Alan Walker announced Pennsylvania took a unique approach in its application for the funds by requesting “proposals from our local partners with a goal of maximizing investment and supporting the best projects.” The funds will be used by these local partners to provide capital for small business growth and entrepreneurial investment.
Also speaking at the press conference was Sen. John Gordner (R-Columbia) who is a board member of Ben Franklin Development Partners and the Life Science Greenhouses as well as other SSBCI fund recipients.
Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the rest of the story.
December 20, 2011, 12:57 pm
Zogby delivers mid-year budget briefing
Blaming a shaky economy, federal inaction, uncertainty in Europe and other factors, Budget Secretary Charles Zogby this morning told reporters at his mid-year budget briefing that he anticipates at least a $500 million shortfall in year-end General Fund revenues and a negative balance of $746 million for the Commonwealth’s 2012-13 preliminary budget.
In response to lower-than-expected revenues this fiscal year, Sec. Zogby advised that Governor Corbett has asked for options to be presented on a budgetary freeze in the near term. With significant growth in mandatory spending in the 2012-13 budget in areas such as public pensions and Corrections, as well as uncertainty over the availability of federal funding, Sec. Zogby indicated the administration is bracing for a tougher budget year than 2011-12. He affirmed that at present he is working under the assumption there will be no new additional revenue streams – meaning tax increases – made available.
PLS subscribers check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story.
December 20, 2011, 12:29 pm
The House Rules Committe voted today to move House Bill 1950 to the floor for concurrence after it was amended in the Senate. The bill moved with only Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) voting in the negative. Two amendments to the bill offered by Democratic members were defeated along a party-line vote. Minority Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny) encouraged his members to vote for the bill prognosticating this is likely the best bill the House will see, despite lacking desired environmental protections.
December 20, 2011, 12:24 pm
Governor Corbett signed into law Senate Bill 1183, which imposes tougher reporting standards and strengthens the state’s rule on convicted sex offenders. He stated this bill fixes several unintended flaws in Pennsylvania’s current Megan’s Law; extending the crime of failing to comply with Megan’s Law to out-of-state offenders that move, work, or attend school in Pennsylvania as well as homeless and transient sex offenders. He said the law expands Megan’s Law to prevent group homes from providing residence to more than five sexually violent predators and broadens Pennsylvania’s law to make sexual contact with students and children a criminal charge of institutional sexual assault for volunteers, employees, or other individuals in the school or center for children. He indicated the bill makes important changes in the current law to comply with the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. He added this legislation increases the amount of information to be collected from sex offenders, expands the list of sexually violent offenses covered by the law and requires the state to publish more information about each offender on its website. He noted the bill also requires the state police to move more quickly in sharing
Continue reading Governor Corbett Signs Bill to Toughen Sex Offender Laws
December 20, 2011, 11:46 am
PennFuture this morning announced the release of a report on Act 129 of 2008, which provided for reductions in energy consumption. Courtney Lane, senior energy policy analyst for PennFuture, stated the report found that “The energy savings law is an unqualified success.” She reviewed the economic and environmental benefits of decreased energy consumption and pointed out that every dollar spent on Act 129 has yielded $8 in savings.
Look for the complete story and a link to the full report in the “Around the Capital” section of the Capitol Toolbox early this afternoon.
December 15, 2011, 2:23 pm
A press conference was held in the Capitol Rotunda today urging legislators to reject House Bill 1100 proposed by Rep. Peter Daley (D-Washington), which eliminates the sales tax on corporate or private jets.
Sharon Ward, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC), stated Pennsylvania cannot afford a new tax break for wealthy individuals while at the same time cutting education by billions of dollars and 150,000 people off of healthcare. She said the PBPC believes this tax cut is unfair to middle class citizens, would cost between 10 and 14 million dollars, and is not the way to create the jobs Pennsylvania needs. She noted Pennsylvania has lost jobs over the past year; 13,000 jobs in education and 21,000 jobs across the state in the public sector. She explained that aviation organizations and manufacturing groups have been going from state to state arguing against sales taxes for repairs of jets in order to move jobs but to pay for the bill, the tax break would have to create 6,500 jobs; double the number of people employed in this field. She emphasized this tax break does not help the middle class, will not create jobs and is a waste of funds.
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