weekly legislative update

This is a list of bills that passed the Pennsylvania House or Senate this week, and mention of any noteworthy resolutions. Standard caveats apply (resolutions not generally included, list of sponsors deleted if it was too long - three lines in the originally formatting).

The daily email changed format recently and I am now reporting the bills as a group with a note for each bill stating if it passed the Senate or the House or both.

Our accountant friends at PICPA have provided their usual informative weekly update.


Other updates this week:


PA GOP House
PA Democratic House



Bills

Regular Session

HB 1281 An Act amending the act of April 28, 1978 (P.L.87, No.41), known as the Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail Act, further providing for actions by municipalities and their powers and duties; and making editorial changes. PASSED in the Senate, House concurred in amendments, presented to the governor.

SB 880 An Act amending Title 30 (Fish) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for vouchers for licenses and permits. PASSED in the House, presented to the governor

SB 1369 An Act amending the act of August 14, 1963 (P.L.839, No.407), entitled, as amended, "An act creating a county records committee; imposing powers and duties upon it; authorizing the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to assist and cooperate with it; defining county records; and authorizing the disposition of certain county records by county officers in counties of the second to eighth class," increasing the membership of the committee. PASSED in the Senate.

HB 2503 An Act amending Title 12 (Commerce and Trade) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for definitions; and providing for loans from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. PASSED in the House.

HB 1297 An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, further providing for the expiration of provisions relating to prudent investments; providing for audit of securities deposited with State Treasurer; in disposition of abandoned and unclaimed property, further providing for judicial action upon determination; and making a related repeal. PASSED in the House

HB 1373 An Act providing for an annual allocation of funds to county mental health and mental retardation programs. PASSED in the Senate.

HB 500 An Act amending the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112), known as the Medical Practice Act of 1985, further providing for definitions; providing for perfusionist licensing, qualifications, supervision and scope of practice, regulations and exemptions. PASSED in the Senate, presented to the governor.

HB 501 An Act amending the act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), known as the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, further providing for definitions; and providing for perfusionist licensing, qualifications, supervision and scope of practice, regulations and exemptions. PASSED in the Senate, presented to governor.

HB 775 An Act amending the act of June 11, 1935 (P.L.326, No.149), entitled "An act relating to counties of the first class; defining deceased service persons; providing for contributions by the county to the funeral expenses for such persons and their widows; providing for the erection and care of markers, headstones, and flags, and for the compilation of war records," further providing for flags, markers and headstones. PASSED in the Senate, presented to the governor.

HB 776 An Act amending the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code, further providing for flags and grave markers of certain deceased service persons. PASSED in the Senate, presented to the governor.

HB 777 An Act amending the act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.723, No.230), known as the Second Class County Code, further providing for markers on graves and for flags to decorate graves. PASSED in the Senate, presented to governor.

HB 1027 An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for willful failure to pay support order. PASSED in the House.

SB 810 An Act authorizing and directing the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey certain lands situate in the City of Pittston, Luzerne County, to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Pittston. PASSED in the Senate and the House.

SB 1028 An Act amending the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.103, No.69), known as The Second Class Township Code, further providing for public roads. PASSED in the Senate.

List of PA Bills Signed Into Law

My home Internet connection is very sketchy at home this evening for some reason. And the wireless doesn't seem to be working at all. So this is an abbreviated post.

To keep you entertained until the network straightens out, browse the list of bills passed in 2007 (77 of them) or 2008 (18 of them).

(h/t LI)

Chinese Cadavers and the Pennsylvania House

My favorite daily read, Capitol Ideas, had a post today on an extensive debate in the Pennsylvania House on funding for a Pennsylvania museum that had hosted an exhibit of cadavers from China, perhaps a scaled down knock off version of the Bodies exhibit that came to the Franklin Institute.

So I tuned in to PCN this evening to see what might be shown and BINGO!! I got to watch the HOUR long debate that Capitol Ideas alluded to. It is possibly the most embarrassing display I have seen in our state house. Speaker Dennis O'Brien had to ask the legislators to stop talking among themselves, shouting out, etc. He does have a lovely "sshhhh," just the right mix of lullaby and librarian.

Our legislators should be especially chagrined that high school students were visiting and got to watch this display. (These people wanted a RAISE? Can we dock their pay?)

Since the House Journals tend to run 6 months behind, I took rough notes throughout the hour of debate and they are provided below for your edification. They are not a transcript.

Before we get to that, a few random observations:

1) Dwight Evans and Bill DeWeese had on very nice ties.
2) Note to elected officials: if the person in front of you is on camera do not pick your nose or make any gestures that could be interpreted as picking your nose.
3) Anybody else note some incipient Sinophobia?

The State House is considering funding bills for college, universities, and museums. HB 2327

Mike Fleck objects to a bill funding the Carnegie Museum because of their exhibit of cadavers; something about bodies coming from China and may be from political prisoners or tainted in some way. “This is China after all.”

Dwight Evans suggests this is not the time or place.

Steve Samuelson objects to 9 museums getting special funding.

Richard Stevenson objects to exhibit.

Karen Beyer agrees with Samuelson and Fleck.

Brad Roae supports Fleck amendment, says what Samuelson wants is already there.

Kathy Rapp supports Fleck amendment. People going to “Bodies” exhibit without knowing they are of real people or of controversy on origination of them.

Curtis Thomas asks for a moment of reflection. Fleck has a good proposal. Samuelson has raised some good concerns. The overarching question is why bring up these issues now when the budget was presented the first Monday in February and public hearings held since then. Asks Fleck and Samuelson to remove amendments temporarily, move legislation and address concerns between now and when budget process is over.

Daryl Metcalfe says bodies used might be those of Christians or protestors like those in Tiananmen Square. Send a clear message and defund this appropriation. Why now? There has been more light shined on the issue recently. Complains about laughing and conversations going on while he is trying to speak.

Dwight Evans [very snazzy red tie] does not question intent of maker of amendment. The way to deal with this is sit with people from museum. This bill only deals with appropriation of running the museum. Are you more interested in the amendment or solving the issue? But I’m just one member. Fairness is fairness regarding these museums. If you are going to have this policy for this one museum why not all of them. Doesn’t want to diminish what the gentlemen is attempting to do with the amendment. You know there’s a lot of people watching us to see how we conduct ourselves. Civility is important.

Sam Smith disagrees with Evans. This is the gentleman from Huntington County’s only opportunity to bring his concerns out. This legislative body has concerns with how this particular museum handled this display. That will bring the museum in to talk with us. If they are refusing to do that this is how we get them in here. It‘s not against the Carnegie but concerned about how this was handled.

Evans: This is the first time I’ve heard of this issue, no one has brought it to my attention or asked to talk with me. I’m making a public offer to bring in the museum. If that’s what it’s about. If you want to make a point or get a victory then you won’t want to meet with them, there’s nothing I can do about that. Do you want to address this issue or get political points.

Smith: Mr. Speaker!! Evans is impugning motives.

Evans: Doesn’t know sponsor of amendment. Willing to address issue. We will get this funding through; Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh will get their money.

Smith: That argument is astonishing to me.

Julie Harhart: Introduces class visiting.

Frank Dermody: It is wrong to be punishing these institutions at this time. Understand that sponsor of the amendment has introduced legislation to deal with this issue.

Dan Frankel: Agree. These institutions are wonderful and do much good work. There is a bill introduced that I co-sponsored to deal with this issue. Exhibit has toured around the country.

Thomas Petrone: Oppose this amendment. It impedes access to science and history. How many saw the King Tut exhibit? The Ice Man? You should see these and be interested. Taking funds away is dangerous. Asks visiting class if we should cut these funds. [speaker chides him.]

Craig Dally: To correct, there were no hearings held on non-preferred appropriations [like this museum funding bill]

Mark Cohen: Agree with Evans. Support the Carnegie. Fleck amendment is a waste of public focus. The only way our ability to take money away can be legally challenged is if we do it for freedom of expression. [cites case in New York].

Thomas Yewcic: Appropriations votes are among our most important. It shows our priority. Let’s not fund these exhibits from Beijing.

Paul Clymer: The issue is our respect for fellow man, for humanity. This exhibit of Chinese people is the wrong direction for us to go.

Scott Petri: Many of us have missed the important issue today. If there is any question at all prudence dictates that we go over it. Do rank and file members have the right to challenge and go over appropriations. There are precedents.

Chelsa Wagner: Carnegie Science Center is in my district. They did their due diligence before the exhibit. Had community advisory committee led Diocese of Pittsburgh to issue a lengthy statement in support of the exhibit. Fleck amendment is misplaced.

Fleck: This is a very big human right issue. We have more laws on the books regarding taxidermy than on human remains shipped into this country. An exhibit of bodies at the Franklin Institute had all ages and genders and appropriate paperwork. The exhibit at the Carnegie had bodies from China, all in their 20s and 30s. The Chinese are very superstitious; they want to go into the afterlife with all their body parts. The chairman has agreed to [work with me on issue] so I withdraw my amendment but I will not vote for this on third consideration.

Two Women Vie for 49th State Senate District

It is rare enough for a woman to run for state senate in Pennsylvania; it is even rarer to find two running for the same office. So, even though it is as far away from my regular geographic focus as possible and still be in the Commonwealth, let’s take a look at the 49th state senate district in Erie. Republican Jane Earll is the incumbent, seeking a fourth term; by occupation and training she is a lawyer. She chairs the Community, Economic and Recreational Development committee and is vice chair of the Finance Committee.

Her challenger is Democrat Cindy Purvis. An article from the Erie Times-News (“Purvis, Earll, to face off in the fall,” by George Miller 4/20/08).

She is the office manager of Hills Family Campground in McKean Township, and she owned and operated Soup Du Jour from 1995 to 2000. She was also general manager of the Lake Erie Ballet from 1982 to 1992.

Purvis is co-chairwoman of HealthCare4All Pa and a founding member of the Lake Erie Alliance for Democracy, a nonpartisan group seeking to protect Social Security benefits, reform health care and is opposed to the war in Iraq.

One item to caught my eye on her website is that campaign donors can receive a soup recipe from the menus she used at Soup Du Jour (I have my eye on Ham and Potato).

Big Bloggy Welcome

There's a new arrival in the tri-state area: www.3bluedudes.com. It purports to cover national as well as Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York, but so far only national posts are up. Maybe the congressional posts will show up later. Sports fans take note, one of the blue dudes used to manage a football website (I think it was football -- you should never trust me on professional sports stuff).

Two More Venues for Reaching Out to Politicians

Everyone should make an effort to listen to / speak with their congressional representative at least once a year. Townhall meetings are the method I would recommend. For those who prefer a digital method, or perhaps want to connect with lawmakers in a more distant district, there are two new ways of doing so.

Ask Your Lawmaker (www.askyourlawmaker.org) lets you submit and vote on questions for senators and representatives across the country. Our own Sen. Casey has answered a few questions on this site.

If your interests are broader I would recommend Zotfish, www.zotfish.com, which lets you leave questions not only for politicians but for others in the public eye as well. The word zotfish is explained on the site.

Belated Congratulations

I've been remiss in noting some milestones in the regional blogosphere.

One of the proprietors of Young Philly Politics is trying out for the Olympics in the "skinny boys who use sticks to row in boats that have two people" category. A recent updates notes they are still looking for sponsors.

Keystone Politics has been named the official Pennsylvania blogger at the Democratic National Convention. We will all be watching for Greg's updates.

A Few Notes on Health Care

There's nothing like a trip to the ER to focus the mind on health care.

The July issue of Consumer Reports has two very interesting articles in it.

One, "Overdose of debt: lenders push risky credit for everything from cancer care to botox," is on a disturbing tend:

Yet credit cards and finance lines that can reach exorbitant interest rates are being pitched to consumers seeking medical care, either directly or through their medical professionals.

later

Doctors thus are given a financial incentive to have patients stretch out payments at double-digit interest rates from the start.

This just can't be good.

The other article, "Too much treatment: Aggressive medical care can lead to more pain with no gain," is on a comparison between regions with a high density of medical treatment options and others that don't:

Other Dartmouth research has found that patients with serious conditions who are treated in regions that provide the most aggressive medical care—more tests and procedures, more specialists, and more days in the hospital—don't live longer or enjoy a better quality of life than those who receive more conservative treatment.

Patients treated most aggressively are at increased risk of infections and medical errors that come from uncoordinated care, such as doctors prescribing drugs that duplicate or interact with other drugs. They also tend to receive poorer care, spend a lot more money for co-payments, and are the least satisfied with their health care, the Dartmouth researchers found.

later

Few Americans are aware of the dangers of this type of unneeded testing and overreliance on specialists. Instead, many fear that their health problems will be neglected or inadequately treated. But for people with good private health insurance or Medicare, the perils of overtreatment are real.

Standard protocols should help balance this out.

(Two notes: 1) The full second article is not available online but you can get a good summary and 2) our ER trip did involve standard protocol and did not involve any financial pressures.)

Back Issues of the PA Senate Journal Available

The Pennsylvania State Senate has made back issues of the Senate Journal available. You can now read the daily doings of the senate back to 1993. The Senate is also very good about making relatively current issues available; they tend to run a month behind. The House is a different matter. Their most current issue is from late 1997.

More on Gerrymandering

Yesterday Chris Satullo of the Inquirer wrote on HB 2420, "Only you can slay the gerrymander." Rep. Babette Josephs, chair of the committee the bill is currently in, decided not to have the committee vote on it. If the bill doesn't pass by the end of June it will be impossible to change the way the state adjust districts in response to the 10-year census and population shifts. If you have strong feelings on this you should let people know.

PA in the WSJ

This is a list of articles regarding Pennsylvania in this week's Wall Street Journal. Chances are I missed something, but these are the articles that caught my eye.

It should be noted that I routinely do not read the editorials in the WSJ. So any discussions of the state, its elected officials, businesses, or citizens, in editorials will not be mentioned here.

PA Politicians

Nope, no PA politicians this week, but some politics in Pennyslvania.

According to “Obama intensifies push for seniors’ support,” by Amy Chozick (5/27), of Pennsylvania voters over 65, 63% voted for Sen. Clinton in the commonwealth’s primary.

PA Businesses

Robert Toll of Toll Brothers gives Minnesota a failing grade in an assessment of regional housing markets, as noted in “Foreclosure bill puts a governor on hot seat,” by Amy Merrick (5/28). In “AMR, Home Depot and Hershey gain,” by Rob Curran (5/28), Toll Brothers stock is up 1.6%

Brief notes: U.S. Steel of Pittsburgh (5/29)

Other PA

Dan Lerner of Merion is a Hydrox cookie fan (as was my grandfather), according to “Hydrox redux: cookie duels Oreo, again,” by Christopher Rhoads (5/28)

Laurie Woodward of Pittsburgh writes a blog devoted to a particular cookbook, as noted in “Latest web bloggers give cooking the books a whole new meaning,” by Lee Gomes (5/28).

Wharton grad George Karibian is one of the examples given in “New law makes escape tougher for tax exiles,” by Martin A. Vaughan (5/28)

Other Interesting Tidbits

Take note, Gov. Rendell, “Dallas utility to install 3 million ‘smart meters’,” by Rebecca Smith (5/27). Note: “The meters are part of an important trend to help consumers control electricity use and to help utilities cut operative costs, and improvie electricy-system reliability.” Rendell would like to bring smart meters to Pennsylvania.

Hey, people, don’t mess with the chocolate. Seriously. See “Candy companies blame higher prices on hedge funds’ chocolate cravings,” by Aaron O. Patrick (5/28).

One of the things I like about Sen. Obama, from “Candidates split sharply on Bush’s no child left behind law,” by Anne Marie Chaker and Amy Chozick (5/29):

Sen. Obama wants to see parents – not just schools – held accountable, by requiring districts to adopt school-family contracts that lay out expectations for student behavior, attendance and homework, the campaign says.”

weekly legislative update

No bills were voted on in the Pennsylvania Senate or House of Representatives this week. A few were introduced and shuffled off to committee, even though the full legislature was not in session. Even our steadfast friends at PICPA took the week off. The Senate did do something noteworthy but it was noteworthy enough for a separate post.

The House Republicans did provide a weekly update.

Redistricting Bill Pulled

Rep. Babette Josephs, chair of the House State Government committee, decided not to call a vote on the proposed redistricting bill. See "Proposal to take politics out of redistricting stalls," by Tracie Mauriello (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 5/29).

[sigh]

(h/t Capitol Ideas)

Return of the PA Progressive

The Pennsylvania Progressive is back. It looks like it will be a group blog with diaries. Further tweaking will probably be necessary but it is up and there a few new posts to be read.

Camp Wellstone Comes to Philly

Camp Wellstone, a training program for aspiring candidates, campaign workers, and community activists, will be in Philadelphia July 26-27. A former candidate that I think very highly of attending Camp Wellstone and said it was a great program.

Freedom's Watch Watching PA Races

According to the Politico, ("Freedom's Watch launches robocalls against Dems," by Josh Kraushaar, 5/23), Freedom's Watch, a conservative advocacy group, has targeted several congressional races, including a handful in Pennsylvania:

Joe Sestak (PA-07)
Patrick J. Murphy (PA-08)
Chris Carney (PA-10)
John P. Murtha (PA-12)

Marina Kats: Million Dollar Baby

Ace reporter Josh Drobnyk who also blogs over at Pennsylvania Avenue, has reviewed a new filing by GOP candidate for the 13th congressional district, Marina Kats:

Kats' financial disclosure, filed this month with the House, could shed a little light. The suburban Philadelphia trial attorney has between $10.4 million and $42.4 million in assets, according to her disclosure. The range is broad because the forms only require candidates to list assets between certain dollar figures. But the conclusion is clear: Kats has a lot of money.

Democratic incumbent Allyson Schwartz is known for her ability to raise money. See my first quarter FEC report round up for a comparison on how much each candidate had on hand as of April 2.

A Note on Green Collar Jobs

Today Rep. Patrick Murphy held a press conference at the Keystone Industrial Port Complex to hail the passage of the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act. From the press release:

Kicking off his Memorial Day district work period, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th District) announced the bipartisan House passage of legislation that will deliver green energy jobs both locally and nationally. At the green energy hub in the Keystone Industrial Port Complex, Rep. Murphy cited the economic and security needs of the future and praised the tax credits in the House bill that will spur green collar job growth. Murphy was joined by Chris Chang from AE Polysilicon, Falls Township Supervisor Jonathan Snipes, Nathan Willcox from Penn Environment and local workers. Standing at a Wind Power Component Staging Area for Gamesa, they hailed the House of Representatives’ passage of the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act which will create green energy jobs locally and nationally if signed into law. The bill passed the House by a bipartisan majority and will increase the production of renewable fuels and renewable electricity. It extends critical tax credits for research and development as well as business investment. It also extends and expands tax incentives for renewable electricity, as well as for plug-in hybrid cars, energy efficient homes, buildings, and appliances.

What are green collar jobs? Here are a few links with some further explanation:

Where are all the clean, green jobs? By Joel Makower 3/21/08
Also discusses a Pittsburgh conference in March, with excerpts and links from documents that conference and other materials.

Green Collar Blog

“Earth, Inc.; Green collar jobs signal employment shift toward eco-friendly economy,” by Jason Lee (a version of this document was published in the Jobs section of the Inquirer on April 27, 2008).

A Brief Note on Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day, let us remember those from Pennsylvania who have and are serving their country in the military and related services.

These statistics from a press release from Rep. Allyson Schwartz:

It is especially important to acknowledge the tremendous service of Pennsylvania troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today there are over 9,615 Pennsylvania soldiers currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2001, more than 65,385 Pennsylvania soldiers have served in these two nations.

203 Pennsylvania soldiers have given their lives and 1,319 others have been wounded while deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan . We must never forget the commitment and courage shown by these men and women who have sacrificed so much for America and for us.

The full press release is or will be on the congresswoman's legislative site.

Brief Notes on May 7th Environmental / Green Jobs Town Hall Meeting

Earlier this month I attended an Environmental Issues and Green Jobs Town Hall Meeting in Bensalem. I had intended to expand it with related articles and other materials but time has not allowed this at present. That will have to go in another post at a later date.

As always, these are rough notes, and being interpreted a little over 20 weeks after the event. In trying to get the gist and yet maintain the authenticity of the comments made, some detail is lost. Apologies in advance for any errors or misinterpretations.

May 7, 2008, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Bensalem Municipal Township Building

The focus of the meeting was two bills currently in the Pennsylvania legislature. One is House Bill 2200 (bill text / PennFuture fact sheet):

House Bill 2200 is landmark energy conservation legislation that will save families and businesses money and create jobs. It will move Pennsylvania to the national forefront of the clean energy economy, protest our environment, and reduce the need to build new power plants and transmission lines.

The bill creates new electricity conversation program sin each utility service territory that would give business and residential consumers the tools to save about 20 percent on their electric bill. Without such programs, demand for electricity will increase at the current rate, about 1.5 percent each year.

The other is Special Session House Bill 1(bill text / PennFuture fact sheet):

Special Session House Bill 1 (SHB 1) provides $850,000,000 for the development of solar and wind power, energy conservation, green buildings, and rebates to consumers who replace old appliances with new energy efficient ones. The funding would come from a clean energy bond, financed by a portion of the existing gross receipts tax.

The bill ensures critical investments in clean energy technologies such as solar and wind power, and in energy efficiency and green buildings. In order to compete with other states that are also vying to attract clean energy businesses, these incentives must be available soon, over the next four to six years, when many clean energy companies will be making business decisions about where to locate.

John Hangar, President and CEO, PennFuture spoke first. He said both bills have passed in the house and are now in the senate (update, on May 13 a hearing was scheduled). Sen. Tomlinson is chair of the committee they will be introduced into.

Mike Russo, President of Local 4889, United Steelworkers spoke next.
Many Gamesa workers were under or unemployed before working at Gamesa. The Polycom plant may be located on the same site. It will be the largest US solar collector east of the Mississippi.

Rick Ewing of the Lower Makefield Township Environmental Advisory Council took the floor. He talked about energy audits and finding simple things to do to reduce carbon footprints.

Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo was not on the program but spoke anyway. His nephew is State Rep. Gene DiGirolamo. He said the new police building is likely to be solar. They are also looking at smart cars and rain gardens.

Governor Ed Rendell arrived looking tanned and wearing glasses and a flag pin. The previous Friday he received an email from a local company saying they were moving out of Pennsylvania because they didn’t know what would happened when the utility rate caps came off in 2010. The only way we can meet the energy demand by 2025 is to conserve or find new energy sources (or both). One simple way to reduce energy use is to keep air pressure in your car tires at the correct level and keep car oil filters clean.

HB 1202 invests in home grown alternatives, biofuels and ethanol. For biofuels, Pennsylvania is producing 40% of all of the biofuels produced in the US. The rise in food costs is due to the increase in fuel costs, not using corn for ethanol. A bill in the US senate will shift to cellulosic ethanol. The ethanol plant in Clearfield County is producing part corn and part cellulosic ethanol.

[blogger's note: As usual the governor was very well prepared with facts, figures, and details that it is very difficult to write down accurately while he is speaking.]

Sen. Tommy Tomlinson (who also took the stage) scheduled a hearing on 5/13 and said this bill is a priority.