Politics & Government

PA House Agenda for June 4 - 7

The House returns to session on Monday, June 4.

Here's this week's schedule for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Information and commentary has been supplied by the office of Rep. Mike Turzai, Republican Majority Leader. Patch will be posting the rest of the agenda throughout the week.

All of House session and most committee meetings will stream live on PAHouseGOP.com. Many events also may be viewed on Facebook.com/PAHouseGOP

Improving the Commonwealth Jobs Climate

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The full House is expected to consider legislation (Senate Bill 1310, Sen. John Gordner, R - Columbia, Dauphin, Luzerne, Montour, Northumberland and Snyder counties) when passed from the Senate to address the solvency of the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, which currently owes the federal government approximately $3.8 billion. This legislation will lead to full trust fund solvency by 2019. This legislation also addresses various needed reforms to one of the most expensive systems in the nation (eighth most expensive system for employers).

End Outrageous Buyouts: Start Performance-Based School Administrator Contracts

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Six-digit school superintendent contract buyouts are not in the interests of taxpayers, yet recently a number of school districts have paid out millions of dollars in buyouts. Most notable was the buyout agreement for the former superintendent in Philadelphia, Arlene Ackerman (who later filed for unemployment compensation but was rightfully denied).
 
Senate Bill 1296 (Sen. Jeff Piccola, R-Dauphin and York counties) limits generous contract buyouts to departing school district superintendents and requires more contract details to be made available to the public. The legislation also links superintendent contracts to performance standards tied to student achievement and shortens the contract limit to three years for new superintendents and assistant superintendents, a change from the three- to five-year range under current state law.  Additionally, the bill subjects superintendent and assistant superintendent contracts to public access under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law

Budget Season is Upon Us…

The House and Senate have been working together to craft a state spending plan for the 2012-13 fiscal year based on sustainable revenues, no increased taxes and below-inflation growth.

Top budget funding priorities have been identified: K-12 education, higher education and county human service programs. House and Senate leaders plan to meet with the governor to discuss budget details. In June, it is a possibility that any and every weekday could be a voting session day in the House.

Pennsylvania’s Archaic, Prohibition and Communistic-Style Alcohol Sales System vs. Private, Market-Driven Enterprise

The House Republican Caucus will hold a caucus policy discussion in preparation for floor votes on House Bill 11, the privatization of alcohol sales in Pennsylvania.
 
The current state store system was created in 1933 by then-Gov. Gifford Pinchot, who said the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s (PLCB) mission was to make liquor sales “as inconvenient and expensive as possible.”
 
The PLCB’s recent modernization and expansion efforts were as follows:

  • Using tax dollars to build what is, in essence, a party bar with big screen TVs, lounge furniture and top-scale accoutrements in the state Northwest Office Building.
  • Paying $173,000 to an outside company (with employee ties) for courtesy training.
  • Spending more than $4 million a year on advertising and millions of dollars on a “rebranding effort” – even though the PLCB has a monopoly on the market in Pennsylvania.
  • Spending nearly $1 million to advertise at Eagles football games.
  • Establishing and purchasing an expensive gumball machine-style “kiosk” program for wine purchases from a company with political connections. The system forced consumers who wanted to purchase wine to submit personal information and breathe into a machine monitored by state workers. Incidentally, the kiosk program lost the PLCB more than $1 million and was shut down.

The Weekly Schedule

Bill numbers will be used to identify the legislation being considered either in committee or on the House floor. Bills may be researched by bill number or topic on PAHouseGOP.com under the “Research Bills” tab. The bills, sponsors and summaries are posted below.

Monday, June 4

Committee Meetings/Hearings

FINANCE, 9:30 a.m., Room G-50, Irvis Office Building

  • Public hearing on HB 1776 (Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks):  Establishes the Property Tax Independence Act, which would replace the school property tax by increasing the state’s Personal Income Tax from 3.07 percent to 4 percent and expanding and increasing the state’s Sales and Use Tax from 6 percent to 7 percent.

EDUCATION, 10:30 a.m., Room 205, Ryan Office Building

  • HB 2316 (Rep. Todd Rock, R-Franklin): Enables school boards to enter into intergovernmental agreements with other political subdivisions regarding safety and security of the school and students.
  • HB 2317 (Rep. Todd Rock): Eliminates the need for yearly formal approval of academic completion by a public school superintendent within a homeschooled student’s district.
  • SB 1133 (Sen. Don White, R-Armstrong/Butler/Clearfield/Indiana/Westmoreland): Sets defined standards for establishing applied doctorate programs under the direct control and oversight of the State System of Higher Education.
  • SB 1322 (Sen. Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster/York): Gives state-owned universities the ability to enter into an agreement with an entity for cooperative procurement of supplies and services.

HUMAN SERVICES, 10:30 a.m., Room 60, East Wing

  • Public hearing on the impact of funding and policy changes on consumers with intellectual disabilities.

 
Session
On Monday, the House will convene at 1 p.m. for legislative business. The members will vote the uncontested calendar and Rule 35 resolutions.
 
Votes on Second Consideration

  • HB 468 (Rep. Jim Cox): Amends the eligibility requirements associated with the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program to allow a family member to apply for a rebate on behalf of an individual who passes away prior to the end of a given tax year.
  • HB 1803 (Rep. Tom Caltagirone, D-Berks): Permits third-class cities that have parking authorities to assign enforcement and administration of parking laws to the parking authority.
  • HB 2167 (Rep. Tom Quigley, R-Montgomery): Amends the Open Space Law to authorize the local taxing option levy to be used for expenses necessary to prepare the resource, recreation or land use plan or for costs associated with the design, engineering, improvement and development of the real property consistent with the approved plan.
  • HB 2191 (Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester): Creates a regulatory structure within the Department of Banking for short-term loan lenders.
  • HB 2223 (Rep. Mauree Gingrich, R-Lebanon):  Amends the Open Space Law to authorize a portion of the local taxing option levy to be used to maintain property acquired for open space purposes and to provide a mechanism for repealing the local option tax.
  • SB 1296 (Sen. Jeff Piccola, R-Dauphin/York): Amends the Public School Code to change contract terms for school district superintendents and assistant superintendents and subject these contracts to the Right-to-Know Law.
  • SB 1472 (Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre/Juniata/Mifflin/Perry/Union): Appropriation: State Employees’ Retirement System.
  • SB 1473 (Sen. Jake Corman):  Appropriation: Public School Employees Retirement System.
  • SB 1474 (Sen. Jake Corman):  Appropriation: Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
  • SB 1475 (Sen. Jake Corman):  Appropriation: Public Utility Commission.
  • SB 1476 (Sen. Jake Corman):  Appropriation: Office of Small Business Advocate.
  • SB 1477 (Sen. Jake Corman):  Appropriation: State Gaming Fund.
  • SB 1478 (Sen. Jake Corman):  Appropriation: Workers’ Compensation Administration.
  • SB 1479 (Sen. Jake Corman):  Appropriation: Office of Consumer Advocate.

 
Votes on Third Consideration

  • HB 665 (Rep. Gordon Denlinger, R-Lancaster):  Amends the Tax Reform Code to permit a surviving spouse to file a joint return in the year in which his or her spouse passes away.
  • HB 1310 (Rep. Marcy Toepel, R-Montgomery):  Allows privately owned ski resorts to obtain a restaurant liquor license directly from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board regardless of whether that ski resort is located within a county that has reached its limit on restaurant liquor licenses.
  • HB 2018 (Rep. Sid Kavulich, D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Susquehanna/Wyoming):  Bridge designation: the 109th Infantry Bridge.
  • HB 2217 (Rep. Dan Truitt, R-Chester):  Reduces the fee for the Gold Star Family specialty license plate from $20 to $7.50 and increases the maximum eligible gross vehicle weight limit from 10,000 to 14,000 pounds.
  • HB 2319 (Rep. Eli Evankovich, R-Armstrong/Westmoreland): Allows career and technical schools to be eligible for Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) programs in the same manner as other public schools.

 
BILLS ON CONCURRENCE:

  • HB 165 (Rep. John Evans, R-Erie/Crawford): Imposes a criminal and civil penalty upon the owner or co-owner of a dog that injures a service dog used by an individual with a disability.
  • HB 804 (Rep. Kurt Masser, R-Columbia/Montour/Northumberland): Amends the Judicial Code to provide an optional exemption from jury duty for any person who has already served a full term on a statewide investigating grand jury.


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