April 24, 2015

Weekly Wrap:

Property tax has been the issue of the day for some time now, and this week was no different. Last week, the House Finance Committee held a public hearing on H.B. 860 (Saylor, R-York), a comprehensive property tax reform plan. Despite a less than enthusiastic reception, the bill was scheduled for a committee vote on Tuesday; however, at the last minute, Chairman Bernie O’Neill (R-Bucks) pulled the bill from the agenda. O’Neill announced that the committee will be meeting in the first two weeks of May, alluding to a possible vote on the bill then. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee met to consider S.B. 7 (Bartolatta, R-Beaver), which would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to limit the growth on state spending.  And while we’re speaking of spending, the Wolf Administration issued a press release this week announcing the extension of the deadline for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. To read the release, go to: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2015/2015042062.HTM

Taxes weren’t the only hot topic this week. The Senate State Government Committee met to consider S.B. 3 (Folmer, R-Lebanon), which would legalize the use of cannabis for the treatment of certain medical conditions. The bill, which enjoys bipartisan support, was sent to the floor for consideration after the adoption of a comprehensive amendment, which, according to Folmer, is not necessarily the only set of changes to the bill to be expected. For more on S.B. 3, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0003

Also on the pharmaceutical front, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on S.B. 524 (Scarnati, R-Clearfield), which would allow the Department of Corrections to establish a grant program for counties to increase the use of non-narcotic medications, like Vivitrol, to treat inmates with substance abuse issues upon their reentry into the community. For more on S.B. 524, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0524

It was a big week for some of Gov. Tom Wolf’s cabinet nominees, too. As a matter of course, when a governor chooses a department secretary, that person serves as an “acting secretary” until he or she is confirmed by a vote of the full Senate. However, before their nomination is sent to the floor, the nomination must be voted on by the relevant standing committee. This week, the Senate Transportation Committee,  Senate Education Committee and Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee gave the nod to the nominations for Leslie Richards as Secretary of PennDOT, Pedro Rivera as Secretary of Education and Theodore Dallas as Secretary of Human Services. They’re now prime to clear that second hurdle—confirmation by the full Senate. For more on the Executive Nominations process, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/ExNom/index.cfm

 

 

A Look Ahead:

All’s quiet on the capitol front next week; neither the House nor Senate are in session but will return the week of May 4. In the meantime, there will be a number of public hearings, including a meeting of the Basic Education Funding Commission on Monday, a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee on the issue of medical cannabis on Wednesday, and House and Senate Democratic Policy Committee meetings throughout the week. For a full schedule, go to: www.legis.state.pa.us

 

In Other News: