June 20, 2011
The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 1054, the 2011-12 Capital Budget legislation. Under the bill, the state would be authorized to incur a maximum of $1,662 billion in bond indebtedness for the upcoming fiscal year, $75 million more than the previous year. The...
May 23, 2011
By a 40-9 vote, the Senate passed legislation designed to make it more difficult for illegal aliens to receive public benefits, such as Medicaid, welfare and in-state college tuition. Senate Bill 9 would require individuals requesting public benefits in the...
May 9, 2011
The Senate unanimously approved legislation that would add certain synthetically produced drugs to the list of Schedule I controlled substances under the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act. Schedule I drugs are substances that are unsafe, have a high...
May 2, 2011
The Senate unanimously approved legislation that would establish the Sexual Violence Victim Protection Act. Senate Bill 58 would allow a victim of sexual assault to petition the court, requesting protection from the defendant — a current option for victims of domestic...
April 26, 2011
The Senate unanimously approved legislation that would broaden language in the Rail Freight Preservation and Improvement Act (Act 119 of 1984) pertaining to grant work. The law currently allows a railroad to use in-house employees to do a project that receives a Rail...
April 11, 2011
By a vote of 33-17, the Senate passed a bill that repeals the requirement for automatic sprinkler systems in new home construction, and alters the operation of the advisory body that recommends changes in Pennsylvania’s construction code. Opponents of House Bill 377...
