Worth Another Look: Government that Works | Buchanan Government Relations

As he did last year, Gov. Tom Wolf is proposing legislative and administrative initiatives for “government that works” which are centered on innovation and efficiency in government and health and safety for citizens.

Innovation & Efficiency

Cautioning that redundancy in operations, poorly performing contracts and failure to improve the pension system can result in unnecessary government spending, Wolf proposes:

An increase in the use of Pay for Success performance contracts;
Engaging youth advocate partners to educate and support juvenile offenders;
Making improvements to the pension system, such as consolidating investment management operations among the funds, reducing fees for investment management services and establishing a restricted receipt account to ensure full funding of future pension obligations; and
Forming a stakeholder working group to develop plans for modernizing the state’s wine and spirits system.

Just last week the Governor proposed consolidating the Department of Corrections and the Board of Probation and Parole as well as relocating the eHealth Partnership Authority to the Department of Human Services.

Health & Safety

Facing losses of nearly $200 million in services to Pennsylvania seniors, including prescription drug assistance and home- and community-based services, nearly $180 million in assistance for people living with mental illness or intellectual disabilities, $40 million in state funding for child care and $11.5 million in funding for domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, the Governor is proposing:

$34 million to treat over 11,250 new individuals with substance abuse disorders and provide 50 new Health Homes for individuals with substance abuse disorders;
$300,000 to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for grants to establish problem-solving courts;
$3.5 million for efforts related to avian flu, to protect the Commonwealth’s farms and food supplies;
An additional $10 million to support more than 1,900 children and their families through home visiting services; and
$12 million to allow an additional 2,400 children currently on the Child Care Works waiting list.

To read the Governor’s full briefing on Health and Safety, go to: https://www.governor.pa.gov/budget-briefing-government-that-works-health-and-safety/

To read the Governor’s full briefing on Innovation and Efficiency, go to: https://www.governor.pa.gov/budget-briefing-government-that-works-innovation-and-efficiency/