A state legislative update from
the PA House Democratic Caucus THE LATEST... Report shows progress in terror-free investment efforts in Pa.  The
latest report published by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department shows
that companies are continuing to divest from the rogue nations of Iran
and Sudan, as mandated by the Protecting Pennsylvania’s Investments Act,
according to state Rep. Dan Frankel.
The law (Act 44 of 2010) requires Pennsylvania’s public "Four Funds" —
Public School Employees’ Retirement System, State Employees’ Retirement
System, Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System and the Treasury — to
divest from companies that have certain scrutinized business activities
in Sudan or Iran. Since July 2011, 24 companies with ties to the state’s pension plans were determined to have divested operations in Sudan and/or Iran, according to the report. As of July 2012, 50 companies remain scrutinized for having financial interests in one or both of the rogue nations. They must divest by next summer or else the state’s public pensions will sever ties with any companies currently in holdings. The report is mandated by the law. It includes the most recent list of scrutinized companies, a summary of correspondence between the commonwealth and these companies, and the course of action taken either by each company to become compliant, or by the commonwealth to divest or set a course for divestment. Frankel continues to seek methods to prohibit financial dealings with rogue nations. Next year, he plans to reintroduce legislation that would prohibit companies with direct investments in Iran’s energy sector from bidding for state contracts. The measure would prohibit an individual, financial institution, or company that provides goods and services or a line of credit worth at least $20 million to the energy sector of Iran from entering into a contract of $1 million or more with the Pennsylvania Department of General Services. The department would be required to develop a list of people, organizations and companies that are engaged in investment activities with Iran and update the list every 180 days. If individuals, organizations or companies want to enter into a contract with Pennsylvania, they would be required to file a certificate with the Department of General Services that they are eligible to enter into the contract. Freeman bill to protect manufactured housing residents becomes law  State Rep. Bob Freeman's
bill establishing better notification requirements and other
protections for residents when a manufactured housing community owner
decides to sell the community has been signed into law by the governor. Under the law, manufactured home community owners are required, when closing the community, to inform residents within 60 days of any decision to close the community; inform the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and the home municipality also within 60 days; give residents at least six months to leave the community when the closure notice is made – previously, they only had 30 days; consider any offer to purchase the community by a resident association representing at least 25 percent of the manufactured home spaces; pay relocation expenses of up to $4,000 for single and $6,000 for multi-section manufactured homes; pay at least $2,500 or the home's appraised value, whichever is greater, when the homeowner is unable or unwilling to relocate the home; and allow tenants to terminate any leases without penalty after receiving the community's closure notice. Violations of the Manufacturer Home Community Rights Act also will be considered a violation of the Consumer Protection Law, thereby giving residents an additional avenue to enforce the law. The law goes into effect in 60 days. Sabatina’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative becomes law  State Rep. John Sabatina, D-Phila., announced that Gov. Tom Corbett has signed his Justice Reinvestment Initiative bill into law. House Bill 135
unanimously passed the House and Senate and is a key component of the
Justice Reinvestment Initiative. The law authorizes the reinvestment of
25 percent of the savings under the recently enacted prison reform law
to programs that would further help public safety efforts and lower
rates of recidivism. Out of 171 House bills signed into law this
session, the measure was one of 13 Democratic initiatives signed into
law. The act reinvests funds to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, state Department of Corrections, and the Board of Probation and Parole. Funds will be used for grants for innovative policing and county probation improvement; streamlining parole processes; implementing contracts with counties for minimum offenders; and implementing safe community re-entry programs. PCCD has been granted $1 million for a statewide victim notification system, victim service data collection and for programs for victims of juvenile offenders. The law also makes a number of changes in the way the PCCD conducts its business, including allowing the attorney general, General Assembly members and judges to appoint temporary replacements for the statutorily defined members, permit the appointment of advisory committees, and enhance and define roles of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee and the Targeted Community Revitalization and Crime Prevention Advisory Committee. Sabatina said the PCCD is potentially one of the commonwealth’s most valuable assets in reducing and preventing crime. Democratic Policy Committee examines potential threats to Pa. state parks  Members of the House Democratic Policy Committee
heard testimony from Pennsylvania’s environmental experts and advocates
at a public hearing Oct. 24 regarding risks to the health of the
commonwealth’s state parks, Chairman Mike Sturla said.The hearing specifically examined issues related to Marcellus Shale drilling, mining and commercial timbering in state parks, which comprise nearly 300,000 acres in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which oversees state parks, declined the committee’s invitation to testify at the hearing. Those testifying at the hearing included: George Jugovic, president and CEO, PennFuture; Jeff Schmidt, senior chapter director, Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter; and David Masur, executive director, PennEnvironment. For more information about the Policy Committee or for hearing materials, visit www.pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee. Boyle seeks answers in Philadelphia police officer's death  State Rep. Brendan F. Boyle on Oct. 23 held a House Democratic Policy Committee public hearing in Philadelphia to investigate the recent shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Moses Walker Jr.Boyle, who served as chairman of the hearing, requested the hearing to address parole procedures in response to Walker's shooting, which was allegedly perpetrated by parolee Rafael Jones. Testifying at the hearing were John McNesby, president, Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5; Michael Potteiger, chairman, Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole; and Angus Love, executive director, Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project. Boyle said that before Walker's shooting, Jones was allowed by Pennsylvania probation officials to go without a required electronic ankle bracelet for up to two weeks after he was released from jail and placed on house arrest. Additionally, two days after Jones was released from prison, with strict instructions from a judge that he be sent back to jail if he failed a drug test, Jones tested positive for marijuana but was allowed by a parole officer to go free. HDPC reviews issues with Unemployment Compensation Service Centers  The House Democratic Policy Committee heard from labor and community advocates at a public hearing
Oct. 23 regarding service issues residents have encountered when
dealing with Unemployment Compensation Service Centers across the state,
Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, said. State Rep. Bill Keller, D-Phila., the Democratic chairman of the House Labor and Industry Committee, requested the hearing and served as co-chairman. The hearing was directed at widespread reports of complications encountered by claimants when seeking help from service center staff. Among the problems residents have experienced are repeated busy signals and long wait times when calling for information. Testifiers at the hearing included: Sharon Dietrich, managing attorney for employment and public benefits, Community Legal Services Inc.; John Dodds, director, Philadelphia Unemployment Project; UC claimants; Greg Potter, president, Lehigh Valley Labor Council; and Kathy Jellison, president, SEIU Local 668. For more information about the Policy Committee or for hearing materials, visit www.pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee. HDPC looks at special education reimbursement in Pa. charter schools  Members of the House Democratic Policy Committee
heard from education and disability advocates at an Oct. 22 public
hearing at the University of the Sciences’ Wilson Student Center to look
at the issue of special education funding for the state’s charter and
traditional public schools, said committee chairman Rep. Mike Sturla.State Rep. James Roebuck, D-Phila. and Democratic chairman of the House Education Committee, served as the hearing’s co-chairman. Roebuck introduced legislation (H.B. 2661) that would reform charter and cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania. His bill includes a provision that would limit the amount of special education funding that a charter or cyber charter school receives per student to the school district's total per-pupil spending for special education services. Testifiers at the hearing included a panel from the Arc of Philadelphia: executive director Nofre Vaquer, board president Ken Oakes and board member Cathy Roccia; David Lapp, staff attorney, Education Law Center; and Larry Jones, president, Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools. For more information about the Policy Committee or for hearing materials, visit www.pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee. |
  
Nov. 2, 2012
IN THE NEWS
Lawsuit raises questions over DEP’s testing of water for drilling contaminants Lawmaker challenges Pa. DEP's reporting of gas well water safety U.S. Attorney's office is reviewing request from Reps. Hanna and Dermody to investigate Corbett's handling of Sandusky's case The storm affects the vote Land banks are newest anti-blight tool made available to PA municipalities PA Legislature's health plans could save $5.5 million this year PA teacher evaluations will be tied to schools' test scores PUC miscalculates Marcellus Shale gas impact money for local governments Commonwealth Court Judge Simpson rejects request for fast ruling on voter ID law ads Corbett's top staff gets big raises; PA residents deal with huge cuts Corbett's words don't match his deeds Corbett should stop voter ID ads Court challenge to attack on the disabled Administration continues to mislead on voter ID Corbett budget cuts are hurting PA college students House Democrats want answers on parole system breakdowns Meet the man behind the myth that is Voter Fraud This is "productive?" State September unemployment rose to 8.2 percent Glitch tied to ID law Voter ID opponents say state's ad campaign is misleading ------------- Follow the House Democratic Caucus on Social Media:    |
| PA House of Representatives Democratic Caucus PO Box 202250 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2250 |
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