Weekly Wrap
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees were the only show in town, as they held budget hearings throughout the week. Here are some highlights from each hearing:
Monday, February 25
House
- Pennsylvania State Police/Homeland Security
- Per capita fee for municipalities with state police coverage
- Technology ecosystem
- School safety
- Department of Corrections, Board of Probation & Parole, Commission on Crime & Delinquency, and the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission
- Criminal justice reform
- Inmate population
- Education in prisons
- Department of Health/Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs
- Opioid crisis
- Marijuana (legal and medical)
- Hospitals and nursing homes
Senate
- Department of Labor & Industry
- Minimum wage
- Job training programs
- Technology in the workforce
- Department of General Services
- Small and minority-owned business contracts
- Farm Show lease/leaseback agreement
- Utilization of state-owned property
- Department of Transportation
- Turnpike payments to PennDOT
- Motor License Fund
- REAL ID
Tuesday, February 26
House
- Office of Administration
- Informational technology
- Cybersecurity
- Department of Transportation
- Turnpike funding
- Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP)
- REAL ID
- Department of General Services
- HealthChoices procurement
- COSTARS program
- Opportunities for small and diverse businesses
Senate
- State-Related Universities
- Higher education funding commission
- Student enrollment, tuition and debt
- Judiciary
- Rules regarding venue for medical malpractice lawsuits
- Staffing
- PA College of Technology/ Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
- Career and technical education
- Post-graduate employment opportunities
Wednesday, February 27
House
- Gaming Control Board
- Online gaming
- Sports wagering
- Compulsive and problem gambling
- Department of Community & Economic Development
- Minimum wage
- Workforce development
- Tourism
- Liquor Control Board
- Liquor modernization
- Wine shipment
- Permitting
Senate
- Department of Health
- Opioid crisis
- Prescription drugs
- Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in drinking water
- Department of Human Services
- Community HealthChoices
- Rate and minimum wage increase
- Medicaid-related issues
Thursday, February 28
House
- Department of Human Services
- Community HealthChoices
- Medical Assistance programs
Senate
- Department of Corrections and Board of Probation & Parole
- Prison closures
- Medical treatment for inmates
- Staffing
- Liquor Control Board
- Union workers
- Wholesale and retail revenue
- Department of Environmental Protection
- Permitting issues
- Carbon emissions
- Infrastructure
- Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission
- School safety
- Support for juveniles in the justice system
The Week Ahead
Same story different week, as the full House and Senate stay in their respective districts and the Appropriations Committees hold budget hearings in Harrisburg. Here’s what to expect:
Monday, March 4
House
- Department of Education (10:00 a.m.)
Senate
- Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs (10:00 a.m.)
- Life Sciences Greenhouse/Life Sciences PA (1:00 p.m.)
- Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (3:00 p.m.)
Tuesday, March 5
House
- Department of Agriculture (10:30 a.m.)
- PSERS/SERS (1:00 p.m.)
Senate
- Department of Education (10:00 a.m.)
- Department of Aging (3:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, March 6
House
- Budget Secretary (10:00 a.m.)
- Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (1:00 p.m.)
Senate
- Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (10:00 a.m.)
- Department of Agriculture (1:00 p.m.)
- Ben Franklin Technology Partners (3:00 p.m.)
In Other News
- Pennsylvania court collections, disbursements rise by nearly $30 million over last decade.
- Study: Pennsylvania ranks second worst in country for cyber attacks
- Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman thinks it’s time to discuss a minimum wage increase.