PA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATIVE REVIEW - February 15, 2013

A state legislative update from the PA House Democratic Caucus THE LATEST... House Democrats applaud Attorney General on lottery outsourcing decision Introduce bill to guarantee more than $120 million in new funding for senior programs House Democrats this week applauded Attorney General Kathleen Kane on her decision to reject Gov. Tom Corbett’s contract with United Kingdom-based Camelot Global Services to manage the Pennsylvania Lottery, and they urged the Republican leaders of the General Assembly to swiftly pass legislation guaranteeing more than $120 million in additional funding for senior programs. “We applaud Attorney General Kane for making the right legal decision on this ill-conceived and illegal contract to outsource our lottery to a British company,” said House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny. “We urge Governor Corbett to end his wrong-headed, outsourcing crusade and start making Pennsylvania workers, taxpayers and seniors his top priority.” House Democrats dismissed Corbett’s claims that outsourcing the state’s successful lottery operations would sacrifice the proposed $50 million in new senior funding Corbett announced last month. They said the Pennsylvania Lottery has a projected surplus of $187 million this year, which can be used to fund senior programs. That surplus is projected to rise to $200 million next year. READ MORE HERE. Costa continues crusade to protect animals from abuse State Rep. Dom Costa, D-Allegheny, has introduced legislation that would strengthen animal cruelty laws and make sure perpetrators are prosecuted and punished. The proposed Angel’s Law, H.B. 760, would increase the grading for all summary offenses relating to animal cruelty to misdemeanor offenses. This change would allow law enforcement to ensure all offenders are processed through the criminal justice system where their crimes are monitored. “Crimes against animals are currently not entered into any centralized database system. Therefore, it’s difficult to punish offenders. My bill would increase the penalties for repeat offenders and give law enforcement the ability to track them,” Costa explained. “If the punishment fits the crime, it just might keep these monsters from victimizing defenseless animals.” READ MORE HERE. Haluska bill would give firefighters tax break on purchase of gear State Rep. Gary Haluska, D-Cambria, has introduced legislation that would help firefighters in Pennsylvania to afford the expensive firefighting gear they often have to purchase themselves. Haluska’s legislation would exempt individual firefighters from paying the state’s 6 percent sales tax on personal purchases of firefighting equipment. “The network of volunteer fire responders we have across Pennsylvania saves residents and businesses literally billions of dollars each year; but for them personally, protecting their communities can be very expensive,” Haluska said. “Much of the gear they need to stay safe during fire and other emergency calls, they have to purchase themselves. I believe they should not have to pay sales tax on items they are purchasing to keep themselves and their communities safe.” READ MORE HERE. Lawmakers heartened by small games of chance overhaul bill Southwestern Pennsylvania lawmakers said help is on the way for beleaguered veterans' groups, fire companies, fraternal organizations and small clubs victimized by ruinous changes to the rules governing small games of chance. "I can't think of a better Valentine's Day gift for these great organizations than the House's overwhelming approval today of House Bill 290," said state Rep. Peter J. Daley II, D-Fayette/Washington, speaking for a contingent of House members who have championed the legislation. "I look forward to seeing the groups free of onerous and tedious mandates." "I urge the state Senate to move with utmost urgency on this legislation so we don't lose any more groups that have long histories of benefitting our communities," said state Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-Washington. "It was a great bipartisan effort to help our veterans groups, nonprofits and clubs to be able to remain open and help our community." READ MORE HERE. PLBC hosts annual Black History Month celebration The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus hosted its annual Black History Month celebration on Wednesday in the state Capitol Rotunda. State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., chairwoman of the PLBC, said the theme for this year’s event was “Political Pioneers.” “The PLBC wanted to take this opportunity to highlight our people of color who were trailblazers in the realm of politics and government,” Brown said. “This event attempts to speak to the inner courage, struggles and triumphs of those who boldly ventured into uncharted waters and made what once seemed impossible possible.” Growing LGBT Equality Caucus welcomes Pa. support for civil rights The Pennsylvania legislature's LGBT Equality Caucus announced its membership has grown dramatically, corresponding with the strong support shown in a new Pennsylvania poll for equal civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. State Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery/Delaware, co-chairman of the caucus, said: "The LGBT Equality Caucus now has 58 members, more than double the 26 from the last session, and it includes members from both parties and both the House and Senate. These voices for equal rights come from throughout Pennsylvania, from Erie and Allegheny counties in the west; Dauphin, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lancaster and Berks counties in central and northeastern Pennsylvania; to the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and its suburbs." State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, co-chairman of the caucus, said: "Passing non-discrimination legislation for employment and housing is the right thing to do, and Pennsylvanians know it. That’s why it has enjoyed roughly 70 percent support in Pennsylvania for the last decade. The rapid growth of the LGBT Equality Caucus is an encouraging sign of growing support in the General Assembly for equal civil rights, and shows we have gotten a slow start, but we’re playing quick catch-up." READ MORE HERE. Harhai bill to address motor vehicle spyware Seeking to heighten consumer awareness and prevent misuse, state Rep. Ted Harhai, D-Westmoreland/Fayette, plans to reintroduce legislation regarding electronic data recorders in motor vehicles. Harhai said the Motor Vehicle Event Data Recorder Act would require manufacturers to disclose in the owner’s manual the presence of such devices, which secretly collect information on such things as vehicle speed, seat belt use and brake application. His bill also would make it a summary offense for unauthorized people to download or retrieve such data, and spells out the conditions under which doing so is legal. "Many vehicles are already equipped with these black box-type devices, which track driving habits and are increasingly being used as evidence in accident investigations," Harhai said. "While this may be vital and useful information, we should have full consumer disclosure, and clear parameters on who can access this information and under what circumstances." READ MORE HERE. Mullery seeks to hold scrap dealers more accountable, reduce theft of metals State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, is reintroducing a bill that would increase penalties for scrap dealers and recycling centers that knowingly buy stolen metal, such as grave monuments. "Theft of metal from grave sites, buildings and even cars has become far too common," Mullery said. "The goal of my legislation is to make scrap dealers more accountable so they don't knowingly accept stolen items. As a result, thieves won't have a place to sell stolen material." Mullery's bill would increase the grading of a first violation of the act from a summary offense to a third-degree misdemeanor, and increase the fine from $2,500 to $5,000. The bill would change the grading for second and subsequent violations from a third-degree misdemeanor to a second-degree misdemeanor, and increase the fine for those violations from $2,500 to $10,000. READ MORE HERE. House passes child abuse training expansion measure The state House has passed legislation introduced by state Rep. Dom Costa, D-Allegheny that would require expanded training for law enforcement in cases regarding child abuse. House Bill 378 would mandate police and magisterial district judges to receive training in child abuse recognition and forensic interviewing of victims of abuse. The measure would encourage law enforcement to use Child Advocacy Centers in their investigations of alleged abuse. “We must give law enforcement and judicial officials the tools they need to successfully investigate allegations of child abuse,” Costa said. “With proper training, they will be able to better recognize signs of abuse and better protect children from dangerous situations.” READ MORE HERE. House Democrats propose more than $120 million in new funding for senior programs Proposal more than double governor’s commitment; lottery privatization not needed House Democrats have announced a proposal that would provide more than $120 million in additional state funding for senior programs next fiscal year – more than double Gov. Tom Corbett’s commitment – without the need to privatize the Pennsylvania Lottery. “Governor Corbett has been wrongly holding programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians hostage, claiming that privatizing the Pennsylvania Lottery and outsourcing its operations to the United Kingdom is necessary to increase funding for those programs,” said House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny. “That is simply not true, and our plan proves it.” Under the House Democrats’ proposal, state funding for senior programs would be guaranteed to increase in the next fiscal year, 2013-14, by at least the same amount funding increased this year – more than $120 million in 2012-13, due to record growth in Pennsylvania Lottery profits under state-employee management. READ MORE HERE. Wheatley welcomes citizen lobbyists to Capitol for bill to boost minority, women and disadvantaged businesses' participation in state contracts State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, this week welcomed citizens from across Pennsylvania to the Capitol for his fourth annual Minority/Women/Disadvantaged Businesses Lobby Day. Small-business owners and other Pennsylvanians came to the Capitol to lobby for Wheatley's H.B. 291, which is designed to improve the participation of minorities, women and the disadvantaged in state contracts and purchasing. "Similar legislation already has passed the House unanimously in the past. These are things we can agree to on a bipartisan basis. I believe we can and should get this enacted into law in this session. Pennsylvania small businesses are counting on us," Wheatley said. READ MORE HERE. Mundy introduces bills to close corporate tax loopholes, lower business tax rates State Rep. Phyllis Mundy has reintroduced two bills to close the Delaware loophole and end accounting gimmicks big companies use to avoid paying Pennsylvania taxes. Both bills eventually would lower the Corporate Net Income tax rate from 9.99 percent to 6.99 percent. "When everyone pays their fair share, everyone wins," said Mundy, Democratic chairman of the House Finance Committee. "Corporate tax loopholes cost Pennsylvania taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Pennsylvania businesses, families and seniors shouldn't have to shoulder the bulk of the tax burden because of loopholes written for some corporations.” House Bill 638 would require corporations and their related subsidiaries to file taxes as a single company for state Corporate Net Income tax purposes. That would eliminate a wide array of tax avoidance strategies that large foreign and multistate corporations use to avoid paying their fair share of taxes to Pennsylvania, including the Delaware loophole. READ MORE HERE. Schlossberg seeks change in rapist child support law Seeking to rectify a quirk in Pennsylvania law, state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, will introduce legislation to end the practice of forcing a raped woman who bears a child from having to choose between receiving child support from the rapist and terminating his parental rights. Schlossberg said his legislation would require convicted rapists who father a child to pay child support – even if their parental rights are terminated. “As unbelievable as it sounds, currently in Pennsylvania, rapists can enjoy parental rights as the result of a loophole in the Domestic Relations Law that strips them of child support obligations if those rights are terminated,” Schlossberg said. “No rape victim should be forced to pick between parental rights and child support – and a rapist should be penalized for his crime, not rewarded with parental rights that may further torment his victim.” READ MORE HERE. Sainato bill to extend death benefits to Civil Air Patrol wins committee approval The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee on Monday voted out state Rep. Chris Sainato's H.B. 500, which would extend to members of the Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol death benefits that are available to other emergency responders. "These volunteers are everyday heroes who work side-by-side with state police, fire officials and other emergency responders in many dangerous situations," said Sainato, D-Lawrence/Beaver. "It's only fair we extend the same benefits to them." The state's Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act provides $100,000 to families of emergency responders who die while performing their duties. The bill authored by Sainato, who serves as Democratic chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, would amend the act to include the Civil Air Patrol. READ MORE HERE. Rep. Brendan Boyle rallies for mass transit funding State Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Phila./Montgomery, this week rallied with a coalition of Pennsylvanians to demand better funding for public mass transportation systems. Boyle spoke at the rally in the Capitol Rotunda along with transit riders, labor leaders, faith-community leaders and other public officials. The group is calling on Gov. Tom Corbett and lawmakers to pass legislation that would dedicate long-term, sufficient and stable funding to maintain public mass transit systems like SEPTA. According to Boyle, Corbett's long-awaited transportation plan presented to lawmakers last week falls substantially short of what's needed to fix the state's $4.5 billion and growing transportation problem. He said public mass transit particularly lacks support in Corbett's plan. READ MORE HERE. Youngblood to introduce bill to enhance sibling visitation rights State Rep. Rosita C. Youngblood, D-Phila., soon will introduce legislation that would strengthen sibling visitation rights and recognize the importance of these relationships on the emotional and psychological development of children. Youngblood said her proposal simply would provide standing in court to siblings who wish to petition for visitation rights, similar to how grandparents can stand before a judge to seek visitation rights. The decision to grant visitation rights for siblings still would rest in the hands of a judge, she added. "Studies have shown the increasing importance of sibling relationships in the development and growth of children," Youngblood said. "The bond between siblings is unique and powerful, and provides a structure that is different from other relationships that are critical to a child's social advancement – including the relationships between children and their parents, friends and peers.” READ MORE HERE. Evans: Build jobs with ‘Made in Pennsylvania’ measures State Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Phila., has launched a four-bill Made in Pennsylvania legislative package that would spur job growth in the commonwealth. "So many of the problems we face in Pennsylvania – from crime, faltering household and government budgets to a lack of health care – can be linked to a dearth of job opportunities," Evans said. "It is time to seek bold solutions to these festering problems and Pennsylvania’s almost 8 percent unemployment rate." Evans said his Made in Pennsylvania package would provide tax incentives to retain, create and stimulate jobs in manufacturing, construction and renovation, renewable and clean energy jobs. READ MORE HERE. Vitali bill would fund solar grant program State Rep. Greg Vitali has introduced H.B. 200, which would save the PA Sunshine Solar Program, which has helped homeowners and small businesses install solar systems. "Solar power has many benefits and the commonwealth should do all it can to encourage its use," said Vitali, Democratic chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. "Although the price of solar power is coming down, this legislation is needed to keep solar power competitive with other forms of energy." Vitali said solar energy creates good-paying jobs in the Delaware Valley and the rest of the commonwealth, helps fight climate change and reduces America's dependence on foreign oil. READ MORE HERE. Waters introduces gun package at news conference State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, Democratic Caucus secretary, held a news conference Feb. 6 to announce publicly the introduction of a package of legislation designed to address gun violence in the commonwealth. “I am encouraged to say that recent data shows what my colleagues and I have believed for a long time: legislation to curtail gun violence in Pennsylvania has the support of the public,” Waters said. “Ninety-five percent of Pennsylvanians favor a universal background check for all potential gun buyers, 60 percent support an assault weapons ban, and 59 percent of citizens support a ban on high-capacity magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds,” he continued. READ MORE HERE. Kavulich will introduce measure to improve school safety State Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich is preparing to introduce legislation that would mandate Pennsylvania elementary and secondary schools to conduct periodic lockdown drills. Kavulich was inspired to introduce the legislation in the wake of tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. in December. Current law requires schools to have emergency management plans in place and to perform periodic fire drills; however, lockdown drills are not presently required. "In the event of an emergency where our students and teachers need to be secured on their campuses, we've got to make sure that everyone knows exactly what to do and is working together for the safety of all involved," Kavulich said. "Lockdown drills can better prepare students and faculty for such unthinkable occurrences. I believe these drills can be implemented quickly and bring an additional level of preparedness to our schools." READ MORE HERE. Boyle reintroduces bill to toughen regulations on methadone clinics State Rep. Kevin Boyle has reintroduced legislation that would tighten the loose regulations now in place for methadone treatment facilities. Boyle's bill would require the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to notify all federal, state and local elected officials within five days of receiving an application for a proposed facility. It also would require the department to assess whether adequate parking is available at the proposed location. At least one public hearing regarding the proposed facility also would be required under Boyle's bill. All property and business owners located within 500 feet of the proposed treatment facility would be required to receive written notice of the public hearing at least 30 days before it is held. READ MORE HERE.

Feb. 15, 2013 IN THE NEWS After cuts, poor schools hit again Northern Tier counties top state list of Marcellus air pollution AG Kathleen Kane rejects Pennsylvania lottery privatization contract Range Resources resumes legal offensive against Washington County communities Pa. leads in credit downgrades of hospitals Corbett shifts stance on cuts to school funds Corbett bristles at Medicaid expansion criticism U.S. Labor Department, Pa. at odds over jobless insurance Researchers: Easier access to booze has a downside Pennsylvania legislative caucus will honor black political pioneers Expand Medicaid in Pennsylvania Central Pa. education officials say Corbett's budget falls short Corbett's budget leaves question about mentally ill patients Corbett's budget falls short on education, health care and taxes Enthusiasm lacking for reworking Electoral College apportionment Molchany to host transportation funding hearing ------------- Follow the House Democratic Caucus on Social Media:

PA House of Representatives Democratic Caucus PO Box 202250 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2250