Post Session Report :: Monday, February 5, 2018
HB 631, PN 668 (Marsico) – This bill amends Title 42 to require the court, upon sentencing a person for a Tier III sex offense under the Adam Walsh Act (relating to sexual offenses and tier system), to order the offender to serve a three-year period of probation...Senate Democratic Wrap-Up for the Week of January 28, 2018
The Senate unanimously passed House Bill 359, which adds bear and elk under the mistaken kill provisions of the Game law. The measure provides for a $100 restitution fine and would revoke one’s hunting license unless the following conditions are met: The violation is...Action to Address Worker Wages First Step on Long Road to Equity
By State Senator Vincent Hughes
Frustrated by years of resistance from legislative Republicans to raise worker wages, Gov. Tom Wolf announced plans to lift the state’s salary threshold below which Pennsylvania salaried workers automatically receive overtime pay. The governor’s action is hard on the heels of efforts by my colleagues and I to address worker pay and make our wage and salary system equitable.
Post Session Report :: Wednesday, January 31, 2018
SB 799 PN 1451 (Alloway): The legislation revises the distribution and use of Growing Greener program funds, and it establishes a long-term nutrient credit purchasing program, the “Pennsylvania Clean Water Procurement Program,” under the Department of Environmental...Post Session Report :: Tuesday, January 30, 2018
SB 234, PN 1443 (Blake) – Senate Bill 234 creates the Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) in Pennsylvania. The state program authorizes local governments to spur economic development by making it possible for commercial and industrial property owners to...Senate Passes Blake’s Economic Development, Clean Energy Initiative
HARRISBURG, January 30, 2018 – The state Senate today overwhelmingly approved legislation sponsored by state Sen. John Blake (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe) that would generate significant economic development, create jobs and enhance Pennsylvania’s clean energy...Post Session Report :: Monday, January 29, 2018
SB 52, PN 1425 (Greenleaf) – This legislation amends Title 51 (Military Affairs) by adding Chapter 98, the National Guard Youth Challenge Program. This is for individuals aged 16-18 who have terminated their attendance at a secondary school without achieving...PA Senate Democrats Outline 2018 Legislative Agenda
Harrisburg, PA — January 29, 2018 — Members of the PA Senate Democratic caucus will stand together to unveil their legislative priorities for 2018, and the new website for the caucus. The Senators will discuss detailed proposals on violence prevention, education,...Supreme Court Decision Throwing Out the Congressional Maps Is a Good Start
Op-ed by State Senator Lisa Boscola
Since my first experience with map drawing back in 2001, it was apparent that partisanship plays too large a role in our redistricting effort. The recent decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court discarding the congressional maps merely serves to reaffirm this position.
The General Assembly has long had the tools to fix the issue once and for all by taking the politics out of map drawing. It is why I am a proud prime sponsor of SB 22. This legislation provides for the creation of an independent commission to draw our lines every 10 years. This has never been a partisan issue for me, but a practical one.