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February 8, 2008

"I was not happy about the bond indebtedness. What he's proposing just this year would be a $1.9 billion increase in our bond indebtedness. And the first four years he was governor our bond indebtedness increased 32 percent."

MINE SAFETY LEGISLATION AMONG BILLS ON SENATE AGENDA

Legislation providing the first comprehensive update of Pennsylvania’s mine safety laws in nearly 50 years could be considered by the Senate next week.

Senate Bill 949 was recently approved by the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango). It would create a new Board of Coal Mine Safety to keep Pennsylvania’s mine safety standards regularly updated, provides for greater responsibility for operators to ensure safety, and enables the state to establish a central database of maps of mines throughout the Commonwealth.

On Tuesday, the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee, chaired by Sen. Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks), will consider legislation that would make it easier for active-duty military personnel to purchase hunting and fishing licenses at a reduced cost.

Senate Bills 1256 and 1257, sponsored by Sen. Bob Regola (R-Westmoreland) and Sen. Bob Robbins (R-Mercer), would amend the Game and Fish Codes by allowing all hunting and fishing license retailers to sell special reduced-cost hunting and fishing licenses for active duty military, National Guard, and Reserve personnel.   

SEN. RHOADES TO ANNOUNCE MEASURES TO COMBAT BLIGHT 

Sen. James Rhoades (R-Schuylkill) will announce the findings and recommendations of the Blight Task Force at a Capitol news conference on Tuesday. 

Senator Rhoades will be joined by Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee Chairman John Pippy (R-Allegheny) and Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), as well as other legislators and mayors.

SENATE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR FISCAL RESTRAINT IN BUDGET

Senate Republicans will carefully examine the major spending and borrowing provisions proposed in the 2008-09 state budget proposed Tuesday by Gov. Rendell, particularly with concerns looming about a slowing economy.

Although Pennsylvania is currently running a surplus – thanks in large part to successful Senate Republican efforts to control spending and prevent tax increases – senators are concerned about the administration’s plan to create expensive and far-reaching programs that taxpayers will have to fund now and in the future.  They also raised concerns about the level of borrowing that the governor is proposing, saying it could hurt the economy and cost the state jobs.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) said: "Good effective government does not include taxing, borrowing and spending.  They have to be controlled, and they have to be used in the best way for our economy."

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) said: "We can't borrow and spend our way into prosperity.  An extraordinary amount of new debt is proposed, and I'm not sure that that level of debt is the right level to do what we need to do to stimulate our economy -- it might have the opposite effect." 

(Please see In the Spotlight and Fast Facts for more on the proposed budget.)

 - Sen. Scarnati
 - Part 1
 - Part 2
 - Sen. Pileggi
Additional Reaction and Information

SENATE VOTES TO PROHIBIT FURLOUGH OF STATE EMPLOYEES DURING BUDGET STALEMATE

The Senate unanimously approved legislation designating all 80,000 employees of the Commonwealth as essential in the event of a budget stalemate and thus prohibiting a furlough.

Last July, Gov. Rendell designated approximately 24,000 Commonwealth employees as non-essential and laid them off in an effort to force approval of his proposed budget and $2.5 billion in tax increases.  The budget standoff lasted one day and the furloughed workers then returned to their jobs and state services resumed.

Senate Bill 1122, sponsored by Senate State Government Committee Chairman Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin), was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senator Piccola said: "With the governor's order, state workers deemed not critical to health or safety were furloughed without pay – an irresponsible and unnecessary move that impacted about a third of the state's workforce. The last time furloughs occurred was in 1991 during a 34-day impasse which sparked a demonstration at the Capitol by unpaid workers.  This time around, welcome centers, state parks, and historic sites were closed at the height of our tourist season, as well as many state services such as driver's license centers because of the government shutdown."

SENATE APPROVES LEGISLATION TO LIMIT TRUCK POLLUTION, NOISE

The Senate approved legislation Wednesday intended to reduce the noise and noxious exhaust fumes of idling tractor trailers.

Senate Bill 295, sponsored by Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), would bar commercial diesel vehicles from idling for more than five minutes during any 60-minute period.

Violators could face fines ranging from $50 to $150. The measure includes a list of exceptions to allow truckers to do their jobs.

Senator Browne said: "Idling motor vehicles needlessly waste hundreds of millions of gallons of diesel fuel. By enacting this restriction, we will save fossil fuels and make Pennsylvania less energy dependent. In many regards, this legislation meets a number of our goals for the environment and energy independence that we have set in the Senate."

BILL CREATING STATEWIDE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT SYSTEM APPROVED BY COMMITTEE

Legislation that would assist counties and municipalities in responding to disasters was approved Tuesday by the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, chaired by Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne).

Senate Bill 1225, sponsored by Sen. John Pippy (R-Allegheny), would establish a statewide system for Mutual Aid Agreements, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of Pennsylvania municipalities, as well as state and county officials, during disaster responses in which assistance is needed from outside the community where the emergency occurred.

Senator Pippy said: "Mutual Aid Agreements are important for effective and rapid response to manmade and natural disasters that require actions beyond the capacity of the municipality or county in which the incident has occurred. Pennsylvania is one of 15 states without a statewide mutual aid agreement.  As a result, mutual aid at the state, county and local levels is often provided without written agreements and without clearly defined divisions of responsibility."

SEN. WONDERLING INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PRIVATIZE WINE AND SPIRITS STORES

Sen. Rob Wonderling (R-Montgomery) has introduced legislation to divest Pennsylvania’s state stores, allowing private entities to sell wine and spirits at locations convenient for consumers.

The bill would allow roughly two-thirds of the 623 state stores to be sold to the highest bidder, while remaining stores would be offered to a private equity firm. The equity firm would have a 51 percent share, while the Commonwealth would keep a 49 percent share. Sale of the state stores is estimated to be at least $1 billion.

Proceeds from the sale will go to expand existing state resources for Medicare and the adultBasic health insurance program as proposed in Gov. Rendell’s Cover All Pennsylvanians proposal.

Senator Wonderling said: "Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states in the nation to sell alcohol as a retailer. If we are to move forward into the 21st century, we must undo this antiquated bureaucracy. Consumers want more convenience and more choices. Selling booze is not a core function of government. It's time for Pennsylvania to get out of the retail liquor business."

Gov. Rendell’s proposed budget calls for a $1.1 billion increase in General Fund spending for a total of $28.3 billion.

He is proposing to tap the Rainy Day Fund, use significant funds from the Motor Vehicle Fund to cover debt service, impose a new surtax on insurance companies that write flood insurance policies in Pennsylvania, and redirect money from Pennsylvania’s Tobacco Settlement Fund.

This represents a 4.2 percent spending increase and includes significant new borrowing for expensive new programs – all of which must be paid for by taxpayers.

Republicans will look carefully at the governor’s plan to borrow $130 million from the state's Rainy Day Fund in the current fiscal year to provide government checks of up to $400 per household for those who qualify for Special Tax Provisions for Poverty. Many of these households already receive a total refund of their state income tax payments. The governor anticipates paying the money to 475,000 households.