March 6, 2015

Weekly Wrap:

Budget, budget, budget. On Tuesday, Gov. Tom Wolf delivered his inaugural budget address to the largely Republican General Assembly; Monday had been filled with speculation and Wednesday largely consumed with reaction. You can read more about Wolf’s address on our blog from earlier this week, but here are some of highlights from Wolf’s proposal to “build schools that teach, jobs that pay and government that works.”

  • Reduce property taxes, increase personal income tax, increase and expand the sales tax and impose a severance tax on natural gas.
  • Increase the state’s share of public education funding from 40 percent to 50 percent, restore cuts and increase funding for higher education.
  • Create a “Made in Pennsylvania” cash-back jobs program and give Pennsylvania companies priority in grant and loan programs.
  • Increase the minimum wage to $10.10/hour.
  • Close the Delaware loophole, cut the Corporate Net Income tax and phase out the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax.
  • Expand Medicaid.
  • Streamline management of state government.
  • Strengthen the pension funds and modernize the liquor stores.

So far, Wolf has launched a website to showcase investment in our schools. Check it out at: http://www.schoolsthatteach.com/

Despite the hullabaloo surrounding the governor’s speech, the General Assembly did manage to take care of some additional business. On Monday, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and the Senate Local Government Committee held a public hearing on the benefits of the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee. Over 20 people and organizations, mainly representing Pennsylvania’s municipalities, delivered or submitted testimony. For more about the Hearing, CLICK HERE.

On Tuesday, the Senate Local Government Committee met to consider S.B. 333 (Eichelberger, R-Blair), which would provide state preemption of local mandated employee leave ordinances. The bill was reported from the committee and is now on second consideration in the Senate. Read the bill and the history HERE.

Most of the action was in the House on Wednesday. The House Appropriations Committee met to consider a number of bills; among them was H.B. 530 (Reese, R-Somerset), which was later the subject of a vigorous debate on the House floor. H.B. 530 is a comprehensive charter school reform bill and passed the House along party lines, 118-73. You can read the bill HERE.

A Look Ahead:

Neither the House nor the Senate will meet for voting session until last week of March, and the next few weeks will be spent in budget hearings. The Appropriations Committee in each chamber will meet to hear about the budget needs of each of the executive agencies, as well as the independent agencies and row offices. Often, the Committee will also be joined by the chairman of the standing committee with oversight over that particular agency. First up: the Independent Fiscal Office will provide an economic outlook before the House Appropriations Committee on Monday at 10 a.m. For a complete list of hearings, CLICK HERE.

In Other News:

  • Gov. Wolf has named a new Chair of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission. CLICK HERE.
  • House Democrats still push to extend the statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases. CLICK HERE.
  • Six people were appointed to the Delaware River Port Authority.  CLICK HERE.
  • Keeping up with that New Year’s resolution? AG Kane says know your health club rights. CLICK HERE .
  • This weekend marks the return of daylight savings time; don’t forget to “spring forward” on Saturday night. Missing that hour sleep? CLICK HERE for survival tips.