Post Session Report :: Monday, October 17, 2016

SB 535, PN 1973 (Vulakovich) – SB 535 amends Title 75, the Vehicle Code, to allow for the use of radar by local police departments.  Senator Vulakovich offered amendment A10090 which prohibits the issuance of points unless the speed limit was exceeded by at...

Post Session Report : Wednesday, September 28, 2016

SB 340 PN 2098 (Eichelberger):  This bill reforms the Local Government Unit Debt Act (in Title 53 (Municipalities Generally), which addresses indebtedness and borrowing for units of local government, as well as guarantees of other government entities by local...

Post Session Report : Tuesday, September 27, 2016

SB 1086 PN 1509 (Rafferty):  This bill allows the Department of Transportation to suspend registration of motorists who fail to pay tolls on the Turnpike until the motorist makes the payment.  The bill was approved 48-0. SB 1235 PN 1894 (Baker):  This bill amends the...

Senate Democratic Wrap-up for the Week of September 25, 2016

The Senate voted 43-2 in favor of House Bill 380, which reduces the amount of time required to establish that a marriage is “irretrievably broken.” This measure reduces from two years to one the amount of time a married couple must be separated before their marriage...

Post Session Report :: Monday, September 26, 2016

SB 1155, PN 1998 (Reschenthaler) – SB 1155 amends Title 75 (Vehicles) to create a special registration plate for any person who is a member of the armed forces of the United States, including a member of a reserve component or the National Guard.  The Senate concurred...

State Troopers Raise Retirement Tsunami Warning Flags

Op-ed by state Sen. Jim Brewster

The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association has posted bright flags warning of a potentially devastating trooper retirement tsunami looming just over the horizon. If the storm comes together and the retirement tidal wave hits, it would severely strain police resources, impair our ability to deal with domestic terrorism and dangerously compromise the safety and security of our citizens.

In media reports, the troopers’ association stated that 2,000 Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) troopers will become retirement-eligible within the next three years. These retirements – if they occur in bulk – will swell the current trooper deficit (417 vacancies below the 4,719 authorized complement) and create long-term staffing problems that will reverberate for a decade or more to come.

Post Session Report :: Wednesday, July 13, 2016

HB 1605, PN 3730 (James) – This is the Fiscal Code bill which provides for the implementation of the 2016-17 Commonwealth Budget.  It contains a number of provisions, including: the authorization of various fund transfers; reenacts the Cancer, Control, Prevention and...

Post Session Report : Tuesday, July 12, 2016

HB 325 PN 3084 (M. K. Keller): The bill makes numerous updates to the Auctioneer Licensing and Trading Assistant Registration Act. The bill eliminates ambiguities in current law and makes several updates to better oversee modern business practices. The bill was...

Post Session Report :: Monday, July 11, 2016

SB 342, PN 1383 (Folmer) – This legislation reforms the Local Government Unit Debt Act (LGUDA) in Title 53 to regulate the use of qualified interest rate management agreements, commonly known as “swaps” or “derivatives.”  Senator Eichelberger offered amendment A09458,...