Mike's Memo

Welcome to a new year of "Mike's Memo," an update on what's happening in the 48th Legislative District, the State Capitol, and the progress on my "Promise to Pennsylvania," a pledge to advance government reforms, enact meaningful lawsuit abuse reform, eliminate wasteful state spending, and cut taxes. If you haven't done so already, please take a few moments to visit my website at www.senatorfolmer.com to learn more about issues that may affect you and your family.

Week of February 8, 2010

Governor's Budget Address Set for Tuesday

Governor Rendell is scheduled to present his 2010 – 2011 spending plan to a joint session of the General Assembly Tuesday, February 9, at 10:30 a.m. The Governor has been calling for additional spending of around four percent – or an increase of $1 billion. This will be his final budget proposal, and it can be viewed live on my website by clicking "Live Senate Feed." I'll have my comments on the proposal posted on the site as well. 

State Revenues Continue to Lag

As the Governor continues to push for increased spending, state revenues continue to decrease. In December, the state collected $2.1 billion - $120.2 million less than anticipated.  To date, the state is $374.4 million below estimates.  The Governor has previously said that there will be a $450 million revenue shortfall by the end of the fiscal year (June 30). It appears that estimate will need to be revised upwards.

Senate Sends Bills to House

The full Senate unanimously approved a number of measures for House consideration, including:

• Senate Bill 298 - amends the Clean and Green law relating to Marcellus Shale, wind generation systems, temporary pipe storage facilities, alternative energy for farm use, non-coal surface mining, and voluntary opt out of Clean and Green;
• Senate Bill 828 - prohibits the state from citing non-profits and charitable groups for selling commonly prepared baked goods (homemade pies, etc.); and
• Senate Bill 1169 - addresses a loophole in the law requiring convicted defendants to pay restitution, reparation, fees, costs, and fines and penalties.

The Governor signed House Bill 1847 into law as Act 4 of 2010. The new law addresses conflicts between property owners over coal bed methane wells and access roads. The bill unanimously passed the full Senate in December.

Pennsylvania Health Information Exchange Legislation

With continued concerns over the Administration's plans to enter into an agreement with Delaware, and piggyback on their existing health information network, Senator Wozniak (Democratic Chair of the Senate Communications & Technology Committee) and I are introducing legislation to require an open and transparent bid process.  Additional information can be found on my website.

No Lame Duck Session for Senate

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi announced last week that the Senate will not convene for a regular lame duck session in 2010. 

The 28 days between November 2 and November 30 are known as a "lame duck" session because some members of the General Assembly can vote on legislation despite the fact that their successors have already been elected.  

The idea not convene after the general election is both consistent with the openness and transparency elements of my "Promise to Pennsylvania" and gives the Governor and House and Senate members plenty of advance notice that all legislative initiatives need to be completed in the early Fall. 

Sen. Kim Ward has introduced Senate Bill 106, a constitutional amendment which would eliminate regular lame duck sessions. It would allow the legislature to convene if a special session is necessary. A similar bill was approved by the Senate last session but did not advance in the House.

The Senate did not have a "Lame Duck Session" in 2008 and it worked very well.

Committee News

The Senate Communications & Technology Committee, scheduled for Wednesday, February 10, at 10 a.m., has been postponed to Wednesday, March 17. Bills to be considered include:

• Senate Bill 964 – legislation to allow individuals applying for hunting and fishing licenses to provide alternative identifications (other than Social Security Numbers) no later than April 10, 2010.
• Senate Bill 1147  – legislation to authorize the electronic gathering of driver's license numbers or non-driver identification card numbers (in place of Social Security Numbers) for hunting and fishing licenses.

For more information on these issues or other legislative and state topics, or if you are unable to open the bill links, visit the Pennsylvania General Assembly website at www.legis.state.pa.us. You may also want to visit "News for Constituents", a comprehensive look into various issues affecting Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth.

Please feel free to contact me at any time on state-related issues that are of concern to you. I may be reached through e-mail at mfolmer@pasen.gov, my website, or any one of my offices listed below.