Recent legislative activity by PA House Democrats

July 24, 2009

House votes against harmful Senate Republican budget

With a strong bipartisan vote, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has rejected a budget plan offered by the Republican-controlled state Senate that would have significantly slashed funding for basic education and other services that protect children, seniors and the disabled. For the third time in less than a week, House Democrats stood firm against Republican proposals that would have taken a slash-and-burn approach to the state budget and passed the buck for public education funding to local property tax owners. The 150-49 vote rejecting the Senate Republican plan has set the stage for a conference committee, where designated representatives for both the House and Senate will negotiate a compromise budget plan.

"The bipartisan vote against the Senate Republicans' budget plan is a clear sign that members of the House -- from both parties -- are committed to fighting for our children's future," said House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne. "For the last several months, House and Senate Democrats, along with Governor Rendell, have repeatedly made attempts to find a middle ground in this budget crisis. We have been waiting for the Senate Republicans to sit down with us at the negotiating table to hammer out a reasonable and responsible budget plan," he continued. "It is our sincere hope that our action today will spur the Senate Republicans to finally get serious about breaking this budget stalemate."

"This vote will move the process forward and finally get us on a path to passing a budget, getting paychecks to state workers and delivering on our obligation to all 12 million Pennsylvanians," House Speaker Keith McCall said. "Now leaders from both parties from the House and the Senate can work together and deliver a final budget product and end this impasse."  

"The pressure on government to provide services increases especially when the economy declines. This is not the time to abandon people, but rather, it's the time to invest in them," said Rep. Dwight Evans, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "We sent the Senate Republicans a very clear bipartisan message: Pennsylvania needs to raise revenue to meet the needs of its citizens."

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SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

Burns' bill to strengthen landscape architect registration signed by governor

State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria/Somerset, said his legislation (Act 24 of 2009) to strengthen registration requirements for landscape architects in Pennsylvania has been signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell. The law will require all landscape architects seeking registration in Pennsylvania to undergo examination regardless of their years of active experience, and expands requirements for the continuing education of licensees.  

"This new law will ensure that only the most qualified landscape architects receive a license to work in Pennsylvania," Burns said. "This legislation received support from landscape architects and the State Board of Engineers from the beginning, and I am so pleased to have helped them change the previous, antiquated registration law."

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Governor signs Freeman measure to grant extension to municipalities setting ordinances to protect the Appalachian Trail

State Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, announced that the governor has signed his legislation (Act 23 of 2009) that will help ensure the continued preservation of the Appalachian Trail. Under the new law Freeman authored, municipalities now have an additional year in which to enact zoning ordinances that provide a buffer corridor on land adjacent to the trail to protect the trail from inappropriate development. Previously, the state's trailside municipalities were required to enact zoning for the buffer corridor by August 2009. Freeman said it became clear in the course of the year that municipalities needed a little more time in order to enact the kind of quality and effective ordinances necessary to ensure the protection of the trail. This extension gives municipalities another year to do so. Freeman authored the original law (Act 24 of 2008) that requires municipalities along the trail to establish zoning ordinances to protect and preserve the land around the Appalachian Trail. A 1978 law preserved the trail, but did not require the zoning to protect the trail from inappropriate development that Freeman's law mandates.

"There are 54 townships situated along the Appalachian Trail, and of the 11 that did not have protections in place regarding the trail area, only four were able to enact them within the year," Freeman said. "This extension gives the remaining seven ample opportunity to consider and implement the ordinances regarding zoning near the trail."

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PASSED THE HOUSE

Staback: Poaching legislation clears state House

State Rep. Ed Staback, D-Lackawanna/Wayne, announced that his bill written to combat poaching of big game animals in Pennsylvania has been passed by the state House of Representatives and now awaits the attention of the Senate. House Bill 1859, the latest version of legislation that includes stiff fines and penalties for poaching and the illegal trade of wildlife in Pennsylvania, won House approval along with the support of nearly all organized statewide sportsmen organizations. The bill was the product of nearly two years of work. It rewrites much of the penalties section in the state Game Code, being the first such serious review since the 1980s.

"House Bill 1859 is the end product of a lot of work," Staback said. "The final product is a bill that includes misdemeanors, felonies, and for the first time, a possibility of jail time; a bill that treats poaching as the serious crime it is; and a bill that has earned the support of a wide variety of outdoor groups ranging from the NRA to the Humane Society of the United States."

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Hornaman volunteer firefighter tax credit bill passes House

State Rep. John Hornaman, D-Erie, announced that legislation he authored to allow local municipalities to institute a tax credit for volunteer firefighters and rescue personnel unanimously passed the state House this week. House Bill 250 would establish the Municipal Volunteer Incentive Act, which would allow local governments to adopt earned income tax credits for volunteers as a financial incentive for recruitment and retention. The legislation includes volunteer Emergency Medical Services and rescue squad members as well as firefighters. Language was added to make sure the credit would apply even on a joint return. A county property tax credit and/or a school property tax credit may also be applied up to 20 percent against the taxpayer's property tax liability.

"Now more than ever, as we struggle with our national and local economies, the need for volunteer emergency service personnel is at an all-time high," Hornaman said. "I developed this legislation because I think a tax credit for volunteers can serve as an important recruitment tool for local fire companies, who often struggle to retain firefighters on a volunteer level. It also represents a small token of appreciation for these brave souls who risk their lives to save others."

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Gergely bill updating Pa.'s boxing law heads to Senate

The House of Representatives this week easily passed a bill introduced by state Rep. Marc Gergely to modernize the state law for boxing and wrestling in Pennsylvania. Gergely said H.B. 1187 would make several improvements to the law, such as allowing the State Athletic Commission to enter into contracts with other states to supervise boxing matches in those states. Delaware has expressed interest in having Pennsylvania supervise boxing matches there, but Pennsylvania law only allows the commission to regulate professional or amateur boxing here. 

"This bill would clear the way for those types of agreements to proceed, which is in the best interests of boxing in Pennsylvania and across the country," Gergely said.

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COMMITTEE ACTION

Committee approves Houghton bill to save local tax dollars

The state House Local Government Committee this week unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Houghton, D-Chester, that would enable municipalities to recover costs associated with reviewing conditional use applications. Houghton's legislation (H.B. 1831) would amend the state Municipalities Planning Code to allow local governments to charge appropriate fees to help cover the cost of reviewing conditional use applications. Houghton said paying experts and consultants to review parts of conditional use applications can cost more than $100,000 in extreme cases, and current law leaves the burden of payment on taxpayers. Houghton pointed to his years as a township supervisor as the origin of his proposal.

"The sometimes staggering costs associated with reviewing conditional use applications were an issue that really frustrated me during my years as a township supervisor," Houghton said. "It just doesn't make sense for municipalities to pay the bill on behalf of developers looking to profit from new projects. Revising this legal loophole will help our local governments save tax dollars, which is something I am pleased my colleagues on the committee saw fit to support today."

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Judiciary Committee approves court funding bill

State Rep. Tom Caltagirone, D-Berks, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the committee this week approved his legislation to raise the fee for court filings as a means to generate revenue for the state court system. Caltagirone's bill (H.B. 1861) would address potential funding shortfalls in the final version of the state budget by increasing the fee for all court filings in the state, with the exception of traffic fees, from $10 to $33 for the next two fiscal years. Under the bill, the fee increase would generate approximately $112 million.

"I take great pride in what Pennsylvania has accomplished with its filing system," Caltagirone said. "We were one of the first states to have a totally computerized system and with the amount of information that system holds, it is imperative that we maintain it."