An update of recent legislative activity by Pennsylvania House Democrats

 February 6, 2009

House Democratic leaders praise Governor Rendell's 2009-10 budget plan

House Democratic leaders said this week's budget address by Gov. Ed Rendell outlined a commonsense plan to address a tough economic picture by cutting spending by nearly a billion dollars, not raising broad-based personal or sales taxes, cutting taxes on businesses by $400 million and restoring the state's economy in the face of a multibillion-dollar projected deficit.

"While Pennsylvania is in better financial shape than many other large states thanks to years of balanced budgets, this spending plan includes some tough decisions and substantial cuts that are going to be the key to creating jobs a nd maintaining the vital services we'll need to get our economy on the right track," House Speaker Keith McCall, D-Carbon, said. "Among the key components in the plan are infrastructure investments -- nearly half a billion dollars in funding for road and bridge repairs, as well as long-overdue improvements to water and sewer systems. This funding will help to create hundreds of thousands of jobs, while making sure we have the infrastructure we need for homes and businesses in all parts of the state."

"Health care is economic development, and this budget delivers an increase of $800 million to make sure our most vulnerable citizens have access to a doctor when illness strikes," House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, said. "When jobs are lost, in many cases so is health insurance coverage, so that job loss has twice the impact on our state and in too many cases leads to bankruptcy. This funding – a mix of state and federal dollars -- will help make medical care available for children, for our seniors and for people of working age who have lost their jobs. The choice is simple: we can pay a little now, or we can pay a lot later when these people have nowhere else to turn and have to use the emergency room as the 'family doctor.'"

The lawmakers said that the plan also includes an increase in funding for basic education that will help school districts reduce the property tax burden, and new investments in higher education to help prepare workers for high-tech, high-wage careers. Additionally, the plan continues the Democratic commitment to helping small businesses by continuing the phase-out of the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax -- boosting business tax cuts to $2 billion over the past six years.

"This budget reflects many of our policy priorities," House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dwight Evans, D-Phila., said. "Even in this tough economic climate, the governor gave us a proposal with bold ideas. He was right to do that because it provides the basis for our debate in the coming months. I think we need to view this budget, in particular, as one that gives us an opportunity to shape how Pennsylvania government operates, not just next year, but over the next several years."

-- Visit www.hacd.net for more information.

COMMITTEE ACTION

Freeman bill would provide tax incentives, grants for preservation projects

A bill that would provide grants and tax incentives for residential and commercial historic preservation projects was unanimously approved by the House Local Government Committee this week, according to the committee chairman and bill's sponsor state Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton. House Bill 42 would establish the Historic Preservation Incentive Grant Program within the Department of Community and Economic Development. The program is designed to provide tax credits for certain historic commercial projects - up to $500,000, and grants for certain residential external rehabilitation or restoration projects - up to $15,000. Retired state Rep. Tom Tangretti, D-Westmoreland, introduced similar legislation during the last legislative session.

"These tax incentives and credits can act as a form of economic stimulus for older communities, creating restoration and construction jobs while also preserving historic buildings and improving the look of older communities," Freeman said. "In order to preserve historic buildings, it is vital that we provide assistance to owners to renovate and preserve. These buildings are sometimes very costly to renovate and, because of that, can fall into disrepair. This bill can make a difference for an owner."

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/Freeman for more information.

DeLuca cancer clinical trial bill approved by House Insurance Committee

State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said the House Insurance Committee has approved his legislation ( H. B. 85) that would require insurance companies to cover the cost of routine care for patients enrolled in cancer clinical trials in Pennsylvania. Clinical trials are research studies to test new drugs or other treatments to compare current, standard treatments that may better help patients.

"My bill would hopefully save the lives of children and adults and encourage better cancer treatment opportunities available through clinical trials," DeLuca said. "Clinical trials are important because many of the greatest medical breakthroughs in cancer treatment have been made in clinical trial settings."

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/DeLuca for more information.

Mann bill to make viewing child porn a crime voted out of House Judiciary Committee

State Rep. Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh, said legislation she sponsored that would help protect children from sexual predators was voted out of the House Judiciary Committee this week. The bill ( H.B. 89) would make viewing child pornography a criminal offense under Pennsylvania law. Currently, only having possession or control of pornographic images can be prosecuted, but the law does not clearly define those circumstances.

"This is a legal loophole that endangers children and we need to take steps to see that it is corrected," Mann said. "The current law gives predators the opportunity to take advantage of children without incurring any criminal penalty. Viewing child pornography should be a crime, plain and simple" 

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/Mann for more information.

BILL INTRODUCTIONS

Casorio introduces bill to coordinate response to drug-endangered children

Pennsylvania would establish a task force to help the state and local governments, law enforcement, schools, health-care workers and social service agencies respond to children whose lives are endangered by the illegal manufacture and trafficking of drugs, under legislation introduced by state Rep. James E. Casorio Jr., D-Westmoreland. The legislation ( H.B. 100) would establish a task force on drug-endangered children within Pennsylvania's Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The task force would include the state secretaries of health, public welfare, education and environmental protection, as well as gubernatorial appointees representing law enforcement, health-care providers, social service agencies, emergency responders and local governments.

"Illegal drugs are harming an entire generation of young people in Pennsylvania," Casorio said. "Thousands of children spend nearly every day in households or neighborhoods where the manufacture, trade or use of illegal drugs is all around them. We need an effective way to respond to the special physical, emotional and social needs these children have."

Visit www.pahouse.com/Casorio for more information.

Daley reintroduces Affordable Housing Trust Fund bill

House Commerce Committee Chairman Peter J. Daley, D-Washington/Fayette, announced today that he will reintroduce an affordable housing trust fund bill in the 2009-10 session. The bill ( H.B. 60) would allow the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to build or rehabilitate and preserve housing for low-to-moderate-income individuals, the elderly and people with disabilities.

"We need to prepare for the future and I believe the creation of this fund will be a good vehicle for any federal stimulus funds related to housing development," Daley said. "This bill can become an important tool in putting our homebuilders and carpenters and plumbers and electricians and masons back to work"

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/Daley for more information.

Cohen to introduce bill aimed at ensuring president is popular vote winner

State Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Phila., will reintroduce legislation that would have Pennsylvania join a multi-state compact to ensure that the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote is elected president. Cohen's bill would have Pennsylvania commit its Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote. Under the current system, Pennsylvania's electors, as in most states, are committed to voting for the candidate who wins the state's popular vote.

"The Electoral College system permits a candidate to win the presidency without winning the most popular votes nationwide," Cohen said. "Incredibly, four of the nation's 56 presidential elections have had the 'wrong winner.' This is a failure rate of one in 14"

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/Cohen for more information.

Yudichak crafts bill to address looming state pension crisis

State Rep. John Yudichak, D-Luzerne, is introducing legislation that would help address the looming state pension crisis. Yudichak's bill would charge the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee with examining the current operation of the Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System and the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System and make short-term and long-term recommendations to limit excessive tax increases on residents while maintaining the integrity of each pension system.

"The Commonwealth is staring down the barrel of billions of dollars in pension losses that will dramatically impact budget decisions made by state and local officials," Yudichak said. "In an environment where most Pennsylvanians are facing major losses in their individual 401K plans, or losing their benefits entirely, state government must responsibly manage its pension funds without placing undue burdens on taxpayers."

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/Yudichak for more information.

Mundy introduces health-care cost control measures

In an effort to hold down health-care costs in the Commonwealth, state Rep. Phyllis Mundy, chairman of the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee, has reintroduced two bills that seek to reinstate a certificate-of-need program in Pennsylvania and prevent medical errors. The first proposal,
( H.B. 247), would rein in what Mundy called a "technological arms race" in Pennsylvania health care by reinstating the state's certificate-of-need program, which expired in 1996. The law required hospitals and non-hospital health-care facilities to justify the purchase of expensive technology or specialized services and to prove they would provide needed services to the communities in which they operate. The Luzerne County lawmaker also reintroduced H.B. 246, which would provide incentives for health-care providers to implement total quality management systems.

"On average, MRI units cost $2 million to buy and $800,000 per year to run. When a physician buys one of these expensive pieces of equipment for his or her own office, as many are doing now, there is likely to be pressure to use it," Mundy said. "Self-referring physicians order two to eight times as many scans as other doctors."

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/Mundy for more information.

Pallone will reintroduce state police service fee legislation

State Rep. John Pallone, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong, plans to reintroduce a bill in coming weeks that would require larger municipalities with no police force to help pay the cost of having Pennsylvania State Police troopers provide law enforcement in their jurisdictions. The legislation would impose a $100 per resident assessment on municipalities with populations of more than 10,000 to help cover the cost of having state police provide law enforcement services. Pallone said there are about 21 such communities across the state.

"My bill would generate about $40 million, which could be used to hire 4,000 additional state troopers, increasing public safety for all Pennsylvania residents," Pallone said. "In his budget address, Governor Rendell suggested we look at imposing fees on municipalities relying on state police for local police protection, and called it a good idea. I am hoping his comment will help move this legislation forward once it's reintroduced.""

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/Pallone for more information.

Bill would authorize video poker, blackjack, etc. machines in Allegheny County

StateRep. Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny, has introduced a bill that would legalize video gaming in Allegheny County. Dermody's bill ( H.B. 258) would set up procedures and guidelines for establishing video gaming in the county, including criteria for licensing distributors, vendors and licensees; types of video machines permitted; and the fees required.

"A number of legislative initiatives over the years have slowly eroded the ability for small taverns and clubs to survive. While many of those initiatives have been for the good of Pennsylvanians, these small bars and clubs have suffered," Dermody said.

-- Visit www.pahouse.com/Dermody for more information.