2007 – 2008 Session Ends

The 2007 – 2008 Session of the General Assembly came to an end at midnight, November 30 and all bills not enacted into law this Session must be reintroduced again next Session.  I was pleased to have two bills signed into law during my first two years in office:

Senate Bill 1107 - child custody rights for military personnel (Act 127 of 2008)
Senate Bill 1156 - foster children/foster parents’ rights (Act 76 of 2007)

2009 Session Days Scheduled

Both chambers of the General Assembly will convene at noon, January 6, 2009, in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.  Scheduled Senate Session Days for the first six months of 2009 include:

January 6, 20 (non-voting), 21 (non-voting), 26, 27, and 28
February 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11
March 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30, and 31
April 1, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29
May 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13
June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, and 30

The Governor will give his budget address in early February and the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold budget hearings the last week of February and the first week of March.  The Commonwealth is required to have its Fiscal Year 2009 – 2010 budget in place by June 30, 2009.

State Finances Bleak

Enacting a state budget by the end of June 30, 2009, will be challenging since state tax revenues continue to lag behind official estimates.  For November, revenues were nearly $100 million short of expectations, pushing the Commonwealth’s budget deficit to $657.9 million (6.8% below estimates).  Corporate tax revenues, sales tax revenues, personal income tax revenues, inheritance tax revenues, realty transfer tax revenues, and other state revenues are all down for the year.  With unemployment at a 14-year high and retail sales continuing to lag, we all need to be properly concerned about the state of our economy, its impact on people’s lives, and how the Commonwealth will respond.

Sales Tax/Property Tax Worksheet

Don't forget to try out my worksheet that shows how an expanded Sales Tax base MIGHT be used to eliminate school property taxes.

This worksheet automatically calculates how changes in an expanded Sales Tax could be used to eliminate school property taxes. 

Help Our Troops Call Home

This holiday season the American Red Cross has partnered with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) to offer Americans a way to support troops serving throughout the world. The "Help Our Troops Call Home" Program allows people to purchase a Military Exchange Prepaid Phone Card for U.S. troops stationed overseas. The program makes it easy for deployed military members to call home and stay in touch with family and friends. Cards cost $18 and provide 300 global minutes.  If you wish, you may send a Christmas card to our troops.  "Holiday Mail for Heroes" is a partnership between the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes to deliver one million holiday cards to American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world. Please send cards to: "Holiday Mail for Heroes", PO Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456.

For more information contact your local American Red Cross office.