Costa reintroduces bill to lift burden of 'EMS' tax

Rep. Paul Costa, D-Allegheny, has reintroduced legislation he pushed last session that would exempt low-income households from the Emergency and Municipal Services Tax.

The bill (H.B. 11) also would allow for installment payments instead of a lump-sum payment at the beginning of the year, and rename the tax the Local Services Tax in an effort to better inform the public about what revenue raised by the tax is used for. A similar bill was passed by the legislature last session but was vetoed by the governor because municipalities would not have had time to implement many of the provisions it contained.

"We need to ensure the tax is collected in a way that doesn't harm those living on limited incomes, and we need to name the tax appropriately since it is causing fund-raising difficulties for local EMS agencies," Costa said.

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Oliver reintroduces bill to give grants for new police officers

Rep. Frank Oliver, D-Phila., has introduced a bill that would establish a Police on Patrol Grant Program within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The program would provide grants to police departments to help reimburse municipalities for the salary of new police officers hired above their base complement. The grants would be awarded to municipalities that had at least five gun homicides in 2005. The bill (H.B. 104) has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration.

"The role of a police officer is to protect and serve, but it's their visible presence in the community that seems to discourage crime and violence. This bill would make it more affordable for communities to increase their police presence and reduce crime," Oliver said.

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Readshaw: Rx for Pa. should include dose of telemedicine

Rep. Harry Readshaw, D-Allegheny, has introduced a bill (H.B. 12) that would permit doctors and specialists to use video and computer-transmitted data when diagnosing and treating Medical Assistance patients.

Interactive telemedicine for Medicaid recipients would allow faster diagnosis and treatment and eliminate travel for a face-to-face diagnosis. The result would be more effective and efficient care for Medical Assistance patients and less cost for the state and its taxpayers. Telemedicine is already used for diagnosing and treating many state corrections inmates because it costs less and is safer than transporting inmates to physicians.

"As we move through the budget process, I call on the governor and my colleagues to explore the great potential of telemedicine to cut down on medical costs across the board," Readshaw said. "Medical treatment and technology are advancing daily. The legislature must recognize that its response must likewise be dynamic or we fail to provide services to our citizens in the most effective, efficient manner and miss the opportunity to have telemedicine make the goals of Prescription for Pennsylvania more within our financial reach."

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Mike O'Brien bill would eliminate
free-standing gaming facilities

Rep. Mike O'Brien, D-Phila., has introduced legislation (H.B. 357) that would eliminate Category 2, or free-standing, casino licenses in Pennsylvania.

The bill would address the concerns many Pennsylvania residents and local officials have about the inadequacies of infrastructure and planning surrounding the free-standing slots casinos that will be placed in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

"I am not anti-gaming," O'Brien explained. "However, it would be impossible to overemphasize my concerns about the inadequacies of the infrastructure surrounding both proposed stand-alone casinos in Philadelphia. I fear that the financial cost of these casinos will ultimately prove to be prohibitive for the city of Philadelphia and the state, to say nothing of the quality-of-life cost for residents."

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Cohen introduces bill to strengthen
buying power of Pa. minimum wage

After achieving a huge victory for hundreds of thousands of wage earners in Pennsylvania in 2006 by passing legislation to increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Phila., has announced plans to seek a further increase of the wage this session, including automatic cost-of-living adjustments in the future.

Cohen's legislation (H.B. 349) would raise the minimum wage to $8.15 in 2008, $8.75 in 2009 and $9.35 in 2010. In 2011 and thereafter, his legislation would provide for small adjustments based on the regional consumer price index.

"Increasing the minimum wage from the paltry $5.15 an hour that it had been for 10 years was the first step in achieving a wage that allows for dignity and not poverty," Cohen said. "But keeping the minimum wage stagnant doesn't allow for price increases; we need to implement a strategy that allows the wage to increase with regional inflation standards." 

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Costa bill would waive commercial driver's test
for trained service members

Rep. Paul Costa, D-Allegheny, has introduced legislation that would allow the state to issue commercial drivers' licenses to applicants who are members of the U.S. armed forces and already meet qualification standards.

House Bill 347 would require the state Department of Transportation to waive the skills test for a commercial driver's license applicant who is an active or reserve member of the armed forces and holds a valid Class 2, 3 or 4 driver's license issued by any of the military branches.

"The purpose of this bill is to provide a smooth transition for military personnel into professional life," Costa said. "This legislation is part of our commitment to the crucial men and women of the armed forces."

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