The House and Senate are in recess and will reconvene on Monday, October 6 at 1 p.m. Here is what happened in Harrisburg this week:
They say a week is a lifetime in politics, and given how much happened last week, we can see where that saying comes from. During the final session days of September, we saw the legislature finally pass the Philadelphia cigarette tax and saw additional movement on bills to limit how much debt the state takes on, including public funding of the popular redevelopment capital assistance programs (RACP). In addition to the drama under the dome, there were additional political fireworks made in the form of the first gubernatorial debate, and the release of racy emails on state computers, which include members of the Attorney General’s office and governor’s key staff. As it stands, the legislature stands in recess until October 6… but there will no doubt be a political chapter or two written between now and then. In the meantime, here’s the lowdown on what happened during and in between votes last week:
Philadelphia Cigarette Tax
The legislature tied up a loose end from budget negotiations in June, with the final passage and the governor’s signature on the cigarette tax. The bill passed the House last Monday largely along party lines by a vote of 114-84. It passed the Senate the following day by a vote of 39-11 and was signed by the governor on Wednesday. The bill provides for a $2 per pack cigarette tax for the city of Philadelphia, which will be used to fund the city’s schools.
Debt Bills Moving Forward
This week, the House advanced two capital budget bills: H.B. 2419 (Turzai, R-Allegheny) and H.B. 2478 (Adolph, R-Delaware). H.B. 2419 is now on third consideration in the House. That bill would limit the amount of borrowed money that the Commonwealth could use to fund public improvement, redevelopment capital assistance, and transportation assistance projects. Meanwhile, H.B. 2478 also received second consideration. Referred to as the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act of 2014-2015, the bill provides for this fiscal year’s capital budget and itemizes certain capital projects. However, the funding for all of the approved projects is not immediately available once the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act is approved by the legislature. The Governor’s Budget Office has a project approval and funding release process in order to manage the issuance of general obligation debt. It is ultimately up to the executive branch, including the governor and state agencies, to determine which projects will be acted upon when. What projects are included in the itemization? Check here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2013&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=2478&pn=4177
Ridesharing Bill Pulled From Agenda
There’s been a lot of talk around the commonwealth over the last six months about the regulation of ridesharing companies. These companies –Uber and Lyft, for example – provide transportation services to individuals who summon rides through a digital application. Drivers use their own cars and pay a portion of their commission to the parent company. The entire transaction occurs digitally; even payment and gratuity are paid by the passenger’s credit card through the app.
At the crux of the ridesharing issue is how these companies should be regulated; taxicabs, the most similar service in Pennsylvania, are regulated by the Public Utility Commission or the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Further complicating matters are issues surrounding the insurance of drivers and motor vehicles being used to provide ridesharing services. And while ridesharing compaies are operating under an emergency temporary grant of authority in Pittsburgh, there is no statewide scheme for their regulation in place.
A bill had been placed on the Consumer Affairs Committee agenda that would have provided for such regulation, but ultimately the committee passed over the bill, given the complicated nature of the issue. What happens now? The House Consumer Affairs Committee has scheduled a public hearing on ridesharing for October 9, by which time there will only be three voting days remaining in the current session. The fate of such legislation is far from clear at this point.
Biosimilars Bill Moves Out Of House Committee
The House Health Committee reported out S.B. 405 (Vance, R-Cumberland) this week. S.B. 405 amends the Generic Equivalent Drug Law to address generic substitution of biosimilars. Biosimilars are medications that are similar to biologics –medications that are manufactured in or extracted from biological sources.
Under this bill, substitution will only be permitted if certain minimal thresholds are met, including a decision by the United States Food and Drug Administration that the prescribed product and biosimilar are interchangeable. Pennsylvania law currently does not allow for substitution of biosimilar drugs or interchangeable biosimilar drugs. The existing law only applies to conventional or small-molecule drugs.
This bill will need at least three more session days to see final passage and land on the governor’s desk. Its fate is unclear at this point, but we’ll be sure to update you on its movement as session wears on.
Medical Marijuana Bill Passes the Senate
A bill that would legalize medical marijuana passed the Senate and has been sent to the House, where its future is far from certain. House Republican leadership is said to oppose the bill, as is the governor.
In a vote of 43-7, the Senate approved the bill to allow medical marijuana in the form of oil and liquid extract pills and edibles. In its current form, the bill would not allow marijuana to be smoked.
While facing an uphill battle in the House, the bill as at least one Republican leader’s support. Majority Leader Mike Vereb is in favor of legalizing medical marijuana and has said he would like to see it sent to the governor before the conclusion of this legislative session. If Vereb is able to convince his fellow leaders and the governor of seeing the issue differently remains to be seen.
Last spring, Gov. Corbett directed the Department of Health to establish a pilot program with two children’s hospitals to allow for the use of medical marijuana in specific cases of children with severe seizure disorders. The bill, S.B. 1182 has not yet been referred to the House.
Two Toms, One Debate
Last week marked the first debate between Gov. Tom Corbett (R) and his Democrat opponent Tom Wolf. The event took place at the iconic Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry dinner at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center on Monday night. While the polls have suggested Wolf had a comfortable lead at this stage of the race, Gov. Corbett was on his game, comfortable, relaxed and scoring points. He pushed Wolf for specifics on his tax plans and touted his own four years of holding the line on taxes despite the tough economic times. Not to be outdone, Wolf also was in his element and was quick to point out to the crowd that like them, he too was a businessman, having started and succeeded at two entrepreneurial ventures. Much like his campaign messaging, he pushed the governor on the issue of education funding.
The next debate will take place in Philadelphia this Wednesday, October 1at KYW-TV studios in Philadelphia.
Bi-Partisan Baseball
Last week saw a rare, but welcomed, evening of Republicans and Democrats coming together in support of a common cause and camaraderie in the form of the second annual Capitol All-Starts Softball Game. The game, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Cable Network and the Pennsylvania Legislative Services, supports Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger Free PA as part of Hunger Action Month. In all, the event is expected to raise more than $66,000; that money, after expenses, will support close to 300,000 meals.
Buchanan was a proud sponsor of the event and joined in on the action cheering on our legislative friends. We can’t help but think that this night on the field not only will help those in need but will also help foster good relationships between the members and the parties when they return to their regularly scheduled sporting event in the form of the political arena.
To get a sense of the legislator’s perspective, check out this post-mortem from PLS: http://www.plsreporter.com/Home/TabId/56/ArtMID/472/ArticleID/316/Legislators-reflect-on-Capitol-All-Stars-Game-participation.aspx
In Case You Missed It:
Corbett and Wolf face-off in first debate: http://www.politicspa.com/pa-gov-corbett-and-wolf-face-off-in-first-debate/60554/
State Senator Dominic Pileggi predicts natural gas extraction tax by next year: http://www.timesleader.com/news/news/50358675/
For the most up-to-date information, check out our blog (https://www.buchanangovernmentrelations.com/) and Twitter feed at @BuchananGov