March 27, 2015

This marks the last week of budget double-trouble; the House Appropriations Committee concluded its budget hearings on Thursday, but the Senate still has another week to go. However, the full House will return to Harrisburg next week for regular voting session.

Weekly Wrap:

Monday:

Both the House and Senate heard budget proposals from the State Employees Retirement System and the Public School Employees Retirement System, with most of the discussion focused on the systems’ unfunded liabilities and rates of return. The House also heard from the Department of Banking and Securities, with a large part of the conversation focused on the impact of the governor’s proposed tax legislation on the banking industry. On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate held a hearing with the Department of Health, touching on different topics, such as Healthcare Innovation Models, medical marijuana, the heroin epidemic and funding for research on particular diseases. The Public Utility Commission also had a budget hearing in the Senate on Monday, and the subjects of discussion included electricity rates and rate caps, accessibility and taxation of natural gas, ridesharing services and pipeline safety.

Tuesday:

A good part of Tuesday focused on higher education, with both committees hearing budget proposals from the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and the state-related institutions of higher education, which includes the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, Lincoln University and Penn State University. Hearings with Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology focused mainly on the college’s contribution to Pennsylvania’s “brain gain” and the demand for graduates in the fields of science and manufacturing. At the hearings with the state-related institutions, topics of discussion included campus safety, possible increase in tuition, efforts to recruit veterans and disadvantaged students, and graduation rates. Beyond higher education, the House also held a hearing with the Department of State, and the Senate held a hearing with the Department of Aging.  The Department of State discussed voter turnout, campaign finance and professional licensure. The Department of Aging focused its discussion on home and community-based services for the elderly, aging in place and the PACE program.

Wednesday:

Issues discussed at Wednesday’s hearings ran the gamut, covering everything from emergency management to liquor privatization. The House Appropriations Committee started its day with a budget hearing with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, where a good deal of discussion focused on the safety of trains carrying crude oil through Pennsylvania. Next up, the Office of Open Records appeared before the committee, where the Executive Director was questioned on the nature and amount of requests under the Open Records Law. Finally, the committee heard a budget request from the Department of Human Services. Among other things, members questioned the department about Medicaid expansion, how a potential minimum wage increase would affect the department’s work force, and the effect the proposed sales tax increase could have on the delivery of home health services. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee started its day with a hearing with the Department of Environmental Protection, where shale extraction and shale tax dominated the conversation. The committee also heard from the Department of Corrections, whose secretary fielded questions about the rising cost of incarceration and the rate of inmate recidivism. Finally, the Liquor Control Board had its hearing, where liquor privatization versus modernization was discussed.

Thursday:

The Senate kicked off Thursday’s hearings with a budget presentation by the Department of Human Services, with discussion touching on the use and role of home care workers, Medicaid expansion and human services block grant funding.  The Department of Community and Economic Development was up next, where members questioned the department about issues like CRIZ, manufacturing and the governor’s tax proposal. Finally, the Senate wrapped up the day with a hearing with the Department of State, with most of the dialogue focusing on professional licensure issues. On the other side of the building, the House Appropriations Committee wrapped up their budget hearings, with presentations by the Governor’s Budget Office and the Insurance Department, and also took testimony from members of the House on particular budget issues. The Governor’s Budget Office gave an overview of the proposed budget and the much debated commonwealth deficit.  Later that day, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the federal Affordable Care Act were hot topics at the Insurance Department’s budget hearing.  And finally, the House heard testimony from particular members on budget issues near and dear to their own hearts.

A Look Ahead:

The Senate will conclude its budget hearings next week. For a full list of hearings, go to: http://www.pasen.gov/

On Monday, the House of Representatives will return for voting session, and a number of standing committee meetings have already been scheduled. On Tuesday, the House Consumer Affairs Committee will hold an informational meeting to hear a presentation by the electric and natural gas industries. The Commerce Committee will hold an informational meeting on the Pennsylvania Money Transmitters Act Update and Modernization. Also on Tuesday, the House Urban Affairs Committee will meet to consider bills; among them are H.B. 447 (Saylor, R-York), amending the landlord tenant act where there is a death of a tenant, and H.B. 648 (Harhai, D-Westmoreland), which addresses neighborhood blight. On Wednesday, the House Education Committee will meet to consider H.B. 423 (Simmons, R-Lehigh), which addresses the issue of administration of epi-pens on school buses, and the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee will meet to consider H.B. 753 (Schlegel-Culver, R-Northumberland), which would expand the duties of the Long Term Care Council.

For a full list of committee meetings: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/session.cfm

To see what might be voted on the House floor, check out the Week Ahead: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015032671.PDF

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