|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
CONTACT: Tom
Andrews 717-783-4267 |
Majority Leader Bill
DeWeese |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Majority Democrats unveil ‘Agenda for PA Progress’
HARRISBURG, March 14 – House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese and Whip Keith McCall today outlined the House Democratic Majority policy agenda for the 2007-08 legislative session, during a Capitol news conference with other leaders and committee chairmen.
“We have gone through an unprecedented process for reform, one that will continue well into the year with committee hearings on many issues. In fewer than 12 weeks, the Commission on Legislative Reform which I developed in cooperation with Speaker Dennis O’Brien did more to reform the process than had been done in the preceding 12 years,” said DeWeese, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington.
“Now we are going to aggressively move forward by asking our committee chairmen to solve the problems that the vast majority of Pennsylvanians are clamoring for -- they want their property taxes cut … they want affordable health-care coverage ... they want the best schools and safe roads ... they want us to do our part to reduce our reliance on foreign oil ... they want us to create jobs and strengthen our economy.
“This is a new day in the House. No longer will our agenda simply be handed to committee chairmen with instructions to pass them. We are giving our chairmen a list of what we want to achieve in the next year, and we are allowing them to do what they should be doing: holding hearings, listening to expert testimony, talking to the public and forging compromise,” DeWeese said.
McCall said the governor’s health-care package, long-term care plan, education plan and alternative energy package, will be introduced and referred to appropriate committees.
“Once we have those blueprints, we will ask our chairmen to hold hearings and get input on those proposals. But that’s not all. In addition, we are asking our chairmen and chairwomen to work on bipartisan solutions to many other issues,” said McCall, D-Carbon.
“Keep in mind that this is a radical departure from the top-down, almost dictatorial leadership style of governing that has dominated this building for decades. House Democratic leaders are proposing to seriously empower our chairmen to get out and listen to the people,” he said.
Just some of the issues expected to be addressed this session by various House committees, include:
n Aging and Older Adult Services – the cost of long-term care, governor's assisted living package, oversight of personal care homes;
n Agriculture and Rural Affairs – Dog Law regulations, weights and measures, helping farmers to compete and succeed;
n Children and Youth – access to safe and affordable child care;
n Commerce – mortgage foreclosures, credit card interest rates;
n Consumer Affairs – cable competition, rate caps under electric deregulation, information security, home improvement contractor regulation, consumer protection;
n Education – the cost of higher education, special education funding, dropout rates, teacher recruitment and retention, school violence;
n Environmental Resources and Energy – alternative and renewable energy, electric deregulation;
n Finance – governor’s business tax reform recommendations, property taxes;
n Game and Fisheries – landowner liability reform, feeding of wildlife;
n Gaming Oversight – minority hiring practices, ongoing licensing and enforcement at gaming facilities, community benefit;
n Health and Human Services – governor’s health-care plan;
n Insurance – governor’s health-care plan;
n Intergovernmental Affairs – Cover All Kids, identity theft, information security, internet sales;
n Judiciary – prison overcrowding, prison costs, gun violence, mandatory minimum sentencing;
n Labor Relations – ban on nurse mandatory overtime, minimum wage;
n Liquor Control – direct shipment, package reform, convenience store beer sales;
n Local Government – land use and local government cooperation;
n Professional Licensure – governor’s health-care package;
n State Government – campaign finance reform, improved voter access, Right to Know law;
n Tourism and Recreational Development – historic preservation, lodging at state parks, innkeepers rights;
n Transportation – mass transit and road and bridge funding;
n Urban Affairs – abandoned property and vehicle regulations, urban renewal;
n Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness – VFD recruitment and retention, VFD grant program, National Guard and veterans’ assistance, emergency preparedness cooperation.
The leaders said there is no doubt that issues will be added to that list. However, they cited those issues as examples of what House Democrats feel are pressing issues to most Pennsylvanians.
“We have not been handed a mandate to govern, but rather, an opportunity to lead. Bipartisan solutions will be the rule, not the exception. We will rely heavily on our committee chairmen and chairwomen to do that compromising, so that the products we bring to the House Floor for a vote will have broad support,” DeWeese said.
###tma/2007/
l:\print\releases\agenda07.050