February 23, 2009

Pennsylvania Senate Republican News Brief

“These hearings provide an opportunity for the Appropriations Committee to hear cabinet secretaries, agency officials and other members of the Administration detail their plans for the upcoming fiscal year. The hearings are especially important since several of the agencies coming before the committee are the ones likely to be most significantly affected by the proposals offered by the Governor in his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2009-10.”

-- Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman (R-Centre) on two weeks of public hearings scheduled to review the proposed state budget.
 

Preview

SENATE BUDGET HEARINGS UNDERWAY

The Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre), will hold a two-week series of budget hearings beginning today. 

Senator Corman said the hearings will be especially important this year, with the state facing a critical revenue shortfall and the prospect of major spending cuts in programs and services. 

All hearings will be held in Hearing Room 1 on the main level of the State Capitol’s North Office Building in Harrisburg. A live video feed, as well video and audio clips, and summaries of the hearings will available at the Senate Republican website: www.pasenategop.com. For a hearing schedule, please see Fast Facts, below. 

Review

SENATORS PILEGGI, ERICKSON VISIT MEDICAL CENTER TO DISCUSS HEALTHNET PA PLAN

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) and Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Ted Erickson (R-Delaware) visited Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Delaware on Feb. 12 as part of their efforts to improve health care access and expand Pennsylvania's health care safety net through the HealthNET PA legislative package.

The HealthNET PA plan would expand access to health care and medicine to more than 500,000 uninsured and low-income working Pennsylvanians. It would utilize information technology to control costs and reduce health care-associated infections, provide expanded insurance options for employers and families, and will incorporate the concepts of disease prevention and wellness.

The senators discussed the 15-bill HealthNET PA package, which includes legislation that would develop or expand health care clinics across Pennsylvania to provide "medical homes" for 175,000 working-poor clients and ease pressure on hospital emergency rooms.

Senator Erickson said: "The number of Pennsylvanians who do not have health insurance has increased since 2004, and a bad situation was made worse with the nation's economic struggles. HealthNET PA provides direct care – not simply insurance -- to uninsured and low-income working Pennsylvanians. And it does so more quickly, and at a fraction of the cost, of other state and national proposals.”

Senator Pileggi said: "There is a need to expand access to health care in communities across Pennsylvania. Increasing support for health care clinics and medical centers means more families will receive health care directly, efficiently, and in community-based settings." 
 News Conference

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR UNVEILS HIGHER EDUCATION PROPOSAL

In response to the Governor’s recent unveiling of his proposed Tuition Relief Act, Sen. Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin), Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, announced his plans for the “Affordability, Accountability, and Choice in Higher Education Act.”

It is a new proposal that promises to provide financial assistance to 25,000 additional students attending a college or university of their choice in Pennsylvania, along with increasing funding for community colleges, placing caps on tuition increases, and instilling other accountability measurements.  Senator Piccola’s plan would be accomplished without the expansion of gambling as a revenue source.      

Under Senator Piccola’s plan, an additional $145 million would be appropriated to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency’s (PHEAA) State Grant, which helps students through an existing needs-based program. The Affordability, Accountability, and Choice in Higher Education Act would also provide a generous increase for the state’s community colleges, funded through cuts in spending and the elimination of the Governor’s film tax credits and other film industry exemptions.   

Senator Piccola said: “I believe that we already have a vibrant network of colleges and universities throughout our Commonwealth.  Our marketplace works, therefore, students and their families should have choice and not be pigeonholed like Rendell’s plan.”
 

COMMITTEE APPROVES TAXPAYER TRANSPARENCY ACT

The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), on Feb. 10 approved the Taxpayer Transparency Act bill, which would put details of the state budget online.

Senate Bill 105, introduced by Senator Browne and commonly known as the Taxpayer Transparency Act, would direct the Office of Budget to create and maintain a searchable budget database-driven website that the public can access, for free. For more on this and other committee action, please see In the Spotlight, below.
 Sen. Browne

SEN. VANCE PROPOSES MORATORIUM ON FILM TAX CREDIT PROGRAM

In the face of the Commonwealth's fiscal woes, Sen. Pat Vance (R-Cumberland) has introduced legislation to suspend Pennsylvania's $75 million Film Production Tax Credit program. 

Senate Bill 262 prohibits the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) from entering into any contracts for the awarding of Film Production Tax Credits through December 31, 2010.   

A DCED report estimates that $75 million in film production tax credits generates only $18.3 million in new tax revenues. 

Senator Vance said: "The Governor is freezing wages and considering layoffs of state workers, and it would be unconscionable in this environment to continue awarding tax credits to film companies. Failure to suspend this tax credit sends the wrong message about our fiscal priorities."

COMMITTEE EXTENDS REVIEW OF MARCELLUS SHALE PERMIT FEE INCREASE

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango), approved several bills Feb. 10 and an extended review of plans to hike Marcellus Shale natural gas permit fees from $100 to an average of $2,600. 

The approved bills include: 

• Senate Bill 115 Senator White -- Requires air quality plans to be posted online.

• Senate Bill 116 Senator White -- The Environmental Funds Reporting and Disclosure Act.

• Senate Bill 117 Senator White -- Requires annual reports under the Key '93 program.

• Senate Bill 118 Senator White -- Requires deposit of certain fines into the HSCA Fund.

• Senate Bill 156 Sen. Tommy Tomlinson (R-Bucks) -- The Home Energy Assistance Act.   Environmental Quality Board Regulation # 7-430 (Final Marcellus Shale Permit Fees) – The committee approved a 14-day extended review of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s plan to increase Marcellus Shale natural gas permits from $100 to an average of $2,600.  DEP circumvented the traditional public and legislative comment period, and the 14-day extension will allow the committee to review Independent Regulatory Review Commission actions and comments on the matter before taking further action. 

Senator White will be introducing legislation to transfer funds from the Oil and Gas Lease Fund to provide additional resources to DEP, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Fish and Boat Commission, and the Game Commission to process Marcellus Shale natural gas permits.

COMMITTEE HEARS TESTIMONY ON SEN. ORIE'S BILL HALTING NEW STATE TEST

A controversial and costly Administration proposal to mandate Graduation Competency Assessment Tests in Pennsylvania high schools was the focus of testimony Thursday before the Senate Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin). 

Senators heard testimony on a bill sponsored by Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) that would expressly place a moratorium on the implementation of any new high school graduation assessments without legislative approval. Senate Bill 281 would also bar the state Department of Education from developing the test until it received funding from the Legislature to do so. 

Last year, the General Assembly passed and the Governor signed into law legislation prohibiting the Department from promulgating, approving, or proposing a regulation to change or establish high school graduation requirements during the 2008-09 Fiscal Year.  Despite this ban, the Department has proceeded with the development of the controversial tests, which are estimated to cost $45 million in a few years. 

Senator Orie said: "This plan goes way too far in terms of cost. The state simply cannot afford to spend $171 million over the next five years on this test– especially if it has not worked in other states.”
 Sen. Orie

The hearing also included Senator Piccola’s proposal to use the existing PSSA process as means to avoid the necessity of a Graduation Competency Assessment.
Hearing Part 1
 Part 2
 Part 3
 Part 4
 Part 5

SEN. YAW: STOP "REVOLVING DOOR" BETWEEN GOVERNMENT WORK AND LOBBYING 

Senator Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) announced that he will introduce legislation designed to help stop the revolving door of state government, which allows employees to move between industry jobs and government jobs which influence that industry. 

Senator Yaw's legislation would impose a two-year waiting period for employees who are responsible for the awarding of state contracts – or the development of policies or requirements relating to these contracts – and who want to work for a company to which their agency has awarded a contract. A similar two-year waiting period would apply to private-sector employees who want government jobs inside an agency their company has contracted with. 

Senator Yaw said: "Being an employee of the government is supposed to be a public service. Commonwealth employees should not be permitted to choose the winners of state contracts and then leave the government to work for one of those companies. Allowing that to happen flies in the face of good public policy."

HUNGER CAUCUS EXAMINES PA FOOD INSECURITY ISSUES

The first meeting of the legislative Hunger Caucus, co-chaired by Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster), highlighted the scope of food insecurity issues in Pennsylvania. 

State Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff testified that more than 1.2 million Pennsylvanians, or nearly 1 in 10 state residents, were at risk for food insecurity.

Senator Brubaker proposed to hold two meetings of the Hunger Caucus per year to examine food insecurity issues and receive additional information on the needs and progress of programs to address hunger. He also announced the launching of the Hunger Caucus website, www.senatorbrubaker.com/hungercaucus.htm, which includes information on state initiatives to prevent food insecurity as well as contact information for a number of organizations that can provide assistance to Pennsylvanians in need.

Other Hunger Caucus members in attendance Feb. 9 included Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) and Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair).
 Sen. Brubaker  

In the Spotlight

Under the Taxpayer Transparency Act, taxpayers could access: 

• Information on grants and contracts provided by government agencies.  All transactions above $25,000 would be accessible to the public; 
• Agency performance indicators and quarterly performance results compared to these indicators;
• Agency line-by-line appropriation analysis including user-friendly detailed monetary breakouts and detailed narrative descriptions.

Senator Browne said: "My proposal is a follow-up to government reform measures already approved by the General Assembly and the rules adopted by the Senate. We have taken major steps to improve the way we disclose information to the residents of the Commonwealth.  I feel that this legislation is another important and essential movement in that direction.”

Senate Resolution 20, sponsored by Sen. John Pippy (R-Allegheny), Chairman of the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, directs the LBFC to conduct a study to determine the effect of the Commonwealth’s tax credit programs on Pennsylvania’s economy, job market, and state and local tax revenues.  The study will include nearly 20 tax credits, including the Film Production Tax Credit, the Research and Development Tax Credit, the Job Creation Tax Credit and the Educational Improvement Tax Credit.

Senator Pippy said: "These tax credit programs vary in size, scope and purpose, and it’s important that we take the time to review their effects. The purpose of the study is to determine the extent to which each has clearly defined goals and objectives, and whether the Commonwealth collects the information necessary to assess whether those goals and objectives are being achieved."
 Sen. Pippy 

Fast Facts

Questions or Comments?

Contact the Senate Republican Communications Office or call 717-787-6725.

Prior Issues
 

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