In honor of Columbus Day, the House and Senate are in recess and will reconvene on Tuesday, October 14 at 1 p.m.  Here is what happened in Harrisburg this week:

This week, the legislature worked toward tying up loose ends as the final days of the 2013-2014 session are in sight. This week saw movement on amendments to the utility code and on the governor’s Ready to Succeed Scholarship Program, as well as progress on legislation to strengthen the state’s prescription drug monitoring database. A bill that would provide for a state plan regulating carbon dioxide emissions came out of committee this week, and another is moving that would make changes to the state’s redevelopment assistance capital project’s (RACP) debt obligations by $50 million.

Ride-sharing took center stage at a rally in East Rotunda of the Capitol on Wednesday, followed by a hearing of the House Consumer Affairs Committee meeting on transportation networks. Two ride-share companies, Uber and Lyft, won temporary authority from the PUC in July to operate in Allegheny County, while they sought permanent authority there and across Pennsylvania. Check out the Twitter hashtag #PAneedsUber for updates on the process.

Of course, the days didn’t go by without political intrigue and wrangling. The two Toms, Corbett and Wolf that is, met for their third and final debate in Pittsburgh. We’ve included some articles for you to read, but all in all, it is fair to say that new ground was not covered and no knockout punches were delivered. A new poll shows that the race is tightening after weeks of Wolf being far in the lead, but only time – and Election Day – will determine the final outcome.

On a lighter note, this week was the annual Gridiron Dinner, where Capitol newsroom reporters and the political heavyweights trade off-the-record observations with humor and style. What happens at the Gridiron stays at the Gridiron, but it’s nice to have a break from all the push and pull of daily news cycles and Twitter handles.

That’s the quick summary; here’s the rest:

Utility Code Amendments

H.B. 939 (Godshall, R-Montgomery) amends the public utility code provision relating to assessments of public utilities, as well as the Utility Consumer Protection provisions relating to payment arrangements, termination of service and reconnection.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

In the Senate, H.B. 2354 (Snyder, D-Greene) made its way through committee and has been set on the Senate Calendar. The bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection to receive approval from the General Assembly for a state plan regulating carbon dioxide emissions. The approval must be given before the plan goes to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for its approval.

RACP Reform – Capital Projects

H.B. 2420 (Benninghoff, R-Centre) was reported from the Appropriations Committee and is on the next week’s House Calendar. The bill amends the Capital Facilities Debt Enabling Act by decreasing the maximum amount of outstanding redevelopment assistance capital project (RACP) obligations by $50 million. Furthermore, the Commonwealth Financing Authority would be given the authority to approve RACP projects, and project applicants would have to provide additional disclosures to the CFA during the permit process. You might remember that there are two other capital budget bills moving as we speak: H.B. 2419 (Turzai, R-Allegheny) and H.B. 2478 (Adolph, R-Delaware). H.B. 2419 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 provides for this fiscal year’s capital budget and itemizes certain capital projects.

Ready to Succeed Scholarship Program

On Wednesday, S.B. 1361 (Ward, R-Westmoreland) passed unanimously in the Senate. As the governor outlined in his budget speech, the bill establishes a $25 million grant program that will establish a new student grant aid and give underprivileged students with academic success an opportunity to obtain financial assistance toward their tuition bills. The goal is to give students incentive to do well in high school, attend a higher education program and, ultimately, graduate. The bill now goes to the House.

Prescription Drug Monitoring

The Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions Program Act, S.B. 1180 (Vance, R-Cumberland), has been set on the House Calendar for October 14. The bill responds to the increasing issue of prescription drug abuse in the state by expanding the types of drugs that are already monitored and by giving pharmacists and doctors increased access to the database. If passed, doctors will have the ability to access other patient dispensing data, and pharmacists could identify fraudulent prescriptions before they reach the hands of citizens.

Lobbying Fees

The Department of State announced this week that they are proposing a $100 increase in the biennial lobbying registration fee – increasing it from $200 to $300. The department previously proposed a $700 increase but received enough opposition from small businesses and lobbyists for nonprofit organizations that it revised the amount. The new fee proposal will go before the Independent Regulatory Review Commission on October 23. Stay tuned!

Final Debate turns into the Home Stretch

Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf debated for the final time this week in Pittsburgh. The duel was televised from WTAE-TV just outside of Pittsburgh. New ground was hardly covered, and each candidate managed to avoid any lethal blows. Wolf is holding firm to his theme that the last four years have been marked by policies that have resulted in larger public school class sizes and lagging job-growth and economic development. Corbett continued to press Wolf on specifics, from his pension reform plans to the details on tax increases on the oil and gas industry, as well as average Pennsylvanians.

In Case You Missed It:

Corbett and Wolf spar on school funding, taxes in final gubernatorial debate: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2014/10/09/Corbett-Wolf-spar-over-several-issues-in-final-debate/stories/201410080202

Polls show slight tightening of PA governor’s race: http://timesleader.com/news/news/50447785/Poll-shows-slight-tightening-of-Pa.-gov-race

Bill would have PA lawmakers approve Obama’s carbon reduction plan: http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2014/10/06/bill-would-have-pa-lawmakers-approve-obamas-carbon-reduction-plan/

Supporters to rally to bring Uber, Lyft to Pennsylvania: http://fox43.com/2014/10/07/supporters-will-rally-to-bring-uber-lyft-to-pennsylvania/