The House Consumer Affairs Committee held a public hearing on SB 168 which amends the Borough Code to provide for no-bid contracts for the purchase of electricity and associated energy services. Testimony is support of the legislation was provided by the Ephrata Borough Manager; American Municipal Power, Inc.; and the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs. Chairman Joseph Preston (D-Allegheny) read a letter of support from the Pennsylvania Municipal Electric Association and a letter of opposition from the Electric Power Generation Association into the record. Senator Michael Brubaker (R-Lancaster), the bill’s prime sponsor, was present and urged the committee to support the legislation. Minority Chairman Robert Godshall (R-Montgomery) expressed concern with certain provisions in the bill. Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story.
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Posted by jeff | Tags: Borough Code, electricity, energy services | Category: House Consumer Affairs, Public/Informational Committee Hearing | Comments are closed | Share:
The House Consumer Affairs Committee held a public hearing on HB 2434, which would return regulation of limos in the city if Philadelphia to the PUC. The committee heard from the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which discussed its role overseeing limos in the city, and from the Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association, which argued oversight by PPA is duplicative of PUC oversight in the rest of the state and more expensive. Look for the complete story in the Capitol Toolbox this afternoon. Posted by Kim | Tags: PUC | Category: House Consumer Affairs, Public/Informational Committee Hearing | Comments are closed | Share:
Representatives from Direct Energy today presented members of the House Consumer Affairs Committee with information on smart meters and other emerging technology. Direct Energy brought two devices in to show members the new capabilities, including features and applications that mirror iPhone/iPad devices. Look for the complete story in the Capitol Toolbox this afternoon. Posted by Kim | Tags: smart meters | Category: House Consumer Affairs, Public/Informational Committee Hearing | Comments are closed | Share:
The House Consumer Affairs Committee held a public hearing on LIHEAP and other weatherization assistance. DCED and DPW each reviewed their roles in providing heating assistance to low-income individuals and representatives from various advocacy groups spoke to the need for greater standardization of timelines, among other recommendations. Look for the complete story in the Capitol Toolbox later this afternoon. Posted by Kim | Tags: heating assistance, LIHEAP, weatherization | Category: House Consumer Affairs, Public/Informational Committee Hearing | Comments are closed | Share:
The House Consumer Affairs Committee voted this morning to amend and report out HB 1747, legislation by Rep. Nick Kotik (D-Allegheny) that would give the PUC regulatory control over all common carrier services in Allegheny County that are not operated by the Port Authority already. In addition the committee also approved a bill that deals with the theft of natural gas propane services and other service provider property, and a resolution related to the state’s dwindling area codes. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story. Posted by mike | Tags: Allegheny County, natural gas, PUC, taxis, theft | Category: Committee Voting Meeting, House Consumer Affairs | Comments are closed | Share:
This morning the House Consumer Affairs Committee held a public hearing to discuss draft legislation that would allow for municipal electricity aggregation in Pennsylvania. Chairman Joe Preston (D-Allegheny) explained the idea would be to allow municipalities or groups of municipalities to contract with electricity suppliers on behalf of residents, on an opt-out basis. In principle it would mean lower rates for many more individuals, and a lower cost of customer acquisition for energy providers. PUC Chairman Jim Cawley was among several to express support for municipal aggregation, and various electricity suppliers, the state consumer advocate, and the boroughs association offered suggestions for refining the idea. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story. Posted by mike | Tags: deregulation, electricity | Category: House Consumer Affairs, Public/Informational Committee Hearing | Comments are closed | Share:
The House Consumer Affairs Committee held a public hearing on HB 221, dealing with the banning of the chemical BPA. Members heard testimony from academics and advocates of BPA-using industries. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story. Posted by jason | Tags: plastic food containers | Category: House Consumer Affairs, Public/Informational Committee Hearing | Comments are closed | Share:
The committees held a joint public hearing on the 2010 Census. Philip Lutz, Assistant Regional Census Manager and Ben Ramos, Partnership Coordinator gave an overview of the census operation and discussed the challenges that they face including overcoming language barriers. Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York) said the census is a “critical issue” because Pennsylvania may lose additional congressional seats which would impact the amount of funding the state will receive in the future. Chairman of the State Government Committee, Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) agreed and encouraged House members to join the Complete Count Caucus to ensure that Pennsylvania gets an accurate count. Check the PLS Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story. Posted by matt | Category: House Consumer Affairs, House Democratic Policy, House Professional Licensure, House Republican Policy, House Select, House State Government | Comments are closed | Share:
The committee voted unanimously to report as amended HB 1726 which creates the Collection Bin Public Notice Act. Also unanimously reported as amended was HB 2064 which amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) creating and defining the offense of false caller identification display and providing penalties. Please check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the complete story. Posted by jeff | Tags: organizational collection bins, welfare, whistleblo, whistleblowers | Category: Committee Voting Meeting, House Commerce, House Consumer Affairs | Comments are closed | Share:
The House Local Government Committee held a public hearing on HB 1726 this morning, which would require clothing collection bins to be clearly marked with information regarding the charitable contributions of the organization, so consumers are aware whether they are contributing to a nonprofit, or for profit. The committee heard from Goodwill and other nonprofits in support of the legislation. During the questions, it was revealed that perhaps the bill should be tweaked to better align with current charity laws. Look for the complete story in the Capitol Toolbox later this afternoon. Posted by Kim | Tags: nonprofits, video poker, vital statistics | Category: Face to Face, House Commerce, House Consumer Affairs, Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
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