House Bill Concerns 911 Wireless Funding

House Bill Concerns 911 Wireless Funding — The Pennsylvania House. last week sent to the Senate a bill to restructure the E-911 Wireless Fund and ensure its viability in the future, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

House Bill 583 would authorize the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) to provide counties with helpful suggestions to cut costs, including joint purchasing, regionalization and consolidation, all with the aim of freeing up funding in the E-911 Wireless Fund and saving individual counties a considerable amount of money, thus ensuring the continued availability of county 911 services.

The bill also eliminates the current back billing system in the E-911 Wireless Fund, whose budget is increasingly growing, and makes technical changes that would expand the spending authority for counties and their Public Safety Answering Points to ensure compliance with the 70 percent personnel funding allowed by law.

 

House Bill Concerns 911 Wireless Funding

HB 421 Ends Unemployment Pay For Retirees

HB 421 Ends Unemployment Pay For Retirees — With the ballyhooed vote to phase out Pennsylvania’s state stores, a rather significant act slipped under most media’s radar last week.

State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) that the  House voted unanimously last week to end “triple dipping” by retirees, whereby individuals collect a public pension or private retirement benefit while returning to work, only to collect unemployment compensation when leaving the job.

House Bill 421 would stipulate in the Unemployment Compensation Law that any retiree who voluntarily leaves employment to maintain eligibility for retirement benefits is ineligible to collect unemployment. This also would apply to retirees who are terminated by the employer so those individuals can maintain their retirement.

Current law contains no clear prohibition against an individual collecting unemployment if he or she leaves a job to continue retirement or annuity benefits. However, the law does specify an offset of retirement benefits against unemployment benefits, meaning those individuals who have participated in these activities did not receive full unemployment benefits.

This sort of the thing would not be happening if Democrats ran the place. House Bill 421 now goes before the Senate for consideration.

 

HB 421 Ends Unemployment Pay For Retirees

HB 492 Gives Victims Say In Parole

HB 492 Gives Victims Say In Parole — The State House has passed legislation  to give Pennsylvania crime victims a say during the parole process of an inmate, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)

House Bill 492 would allow a victim or victim representative to appear personally before the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole and provide testimony in connection with an inmate’s application for parole. The bill would make it clear that the decision for victims or their representatives to appear and be heard by the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole is up to them, not the board. Additionally, if victims or their representatives so choose, they would be permitted to appear by any electronic means made available by the board, such as video conference.

House Bill 492 was inspired by a case in the Philadelphia area in which a convicted murderer was granted parole before completing his maximum sentence without input from the victim’s family. The decision was later reversed.

 

HB 492 Gives Victims Say In Parole

HB 492 Gives Victims Say In Parole

HB 790 Passes House

HB 790 Passes House — HB 790, a bill calling for the eventual privatization of Pennsylvania’s state-owned liquor store, passed the State House, tonight, March 21, of a vote of 105 – 90.

Not a Democrat voted for the bill.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

Hat tip Bob Guzzardi.

HB 790 Passes House

Liquor Store Privatization Vote Expected Thurs.

Liquor Store Privatization Vote Expected Thurs. — Activist Bob Guzzardi notes that the bill to privatize was passed out of the House Liquor Control Committee, yesterday, March 18, and a full vote in the State House is expected on Thursday.

He asks that Pennsylvania residents email the below message be emailed to your state representative.

Dear Representative

It is my understanding that you will be voting on HB 790 to privatize the state wine and spirits later this week. I urge you to support privatization. It is time to end the state monopoly and honor consumer choice in Pennsylvania. It is time to end the state’s conflict of interest and get the state out of the booze business. Thank you for supporting privatization.

Sincerely,

Guzzardi describes the points of HB 790 as:

Wholesale Privatization
One year after the legislation is signed into law, wholesale divestiture would occur.  The state would negotiate wholesale licenses to distribute wine and liquor products to stores, bars and restaurants by brand.  After paying a license fee based on valuation, a wholesaler would have the exclusive right to distribute that brand throughout Pennsylvania.

New Privately-Run Wine and Spirits Stores
–         Would allow for 1,200 initial wine and spirits licenses.
–       Beer distributors would have right of first refusal on licenses for one year.  If a distributor gets a wine and spirits license, they would be the one-stop shop to get wine, beer and liquor.
–         After one year, the unclaimed licenses become available to the public on a ‘first-come basis,’ based on number of licenses available in each county; no county will have fewer licenses available than the number of distributors.
–        All license holders must be stand-alone alcohol retail stores, unless owned by distributors.
–         A wine and spirits licensee can hold five licenses in the state, but no more than one per county.
–         Licensees can’t require memberships (that is, Costco, Sam’s Club, etc. would be excluded).

Retail License Cost
·         Licensees can purchase the right to sell wine, spirits or both.
·         The cost of a new license for beer distributors varies based on county classes.  Wine: $7,500 to $37,500; Spirits: $30,000 to $60,000. Distributors can elect to pay this cost over four years with an additional five percent fee.
·         New wine and spirits stores: Wine: $97,500 to $187,500; Spirits: $142,500 to $262,500.
·         Licenses are renewed every two years at a cost of $1,000.
·         Sunday sale permits will be available at annual cost of $1,000.

Greater Convenience through Grocery Stores and Package Reform
·         Grocery stores may purchase a license to sell any quantity of wine.  Prices for these licenses would range, based on county, from $97,500 to $187,500.  Sunday sales permits would also be available.
·         Restaurants may purchase a license to sell up to six wine bottles to go, in addition to beer which they are currently allowed to sell.
·         The gas prohibition is removed, meaning that a gas station that has a restaurant license and sells food will also be allowed to sell small limited amounts of beer and wine.

Closure of State Stores
·         Once the number of privately-operated stores (including grocery stores selling wine) doubles the number of government-run liquor stores in a county, the state stores must close within six months.
·         As the 600 state stores close, the Department of General Services could offer up to 600 additional wine and spirits licenses.
·         The PLCB will have to close all state store operations once it has 100 or less stores remaining.

Benefits for Current PLCB Employees

·         These include: training and education grants, tax credits for businesses to hire displaced workers, and a civil service hiring preference.

Safety
·         Transaction scan devices must be used and employees trained in alcohol safety.
·         State Troopers would be allowed undercover investigations in licensed establishments, something that does not occur in PLCB stores.
·         Only workers age 21 and older may sell alcohol.

How did the committee vote go?

Voting for Privatization were the following state Representatives. If your representative is on this list thank them and ask him or her to continue to support privatization.
Taylor, John – Chair
Delozier, Sheryl M.
Ellis, Brian L.
Kampf, Warren
Killion, Thomas H.
Krieger, Timothy
Lawrence, John A.
Masser, Kurt A.
Miccarelli, Nicholas A. ( not voting)
Mustio, Mark
Payne, John D.
Petri, Scott A.
Reese, Mike
Regan, Mike
Sonney, Curtis G.

Voting against the people’s wishes are the following: If one of these Representatives is your Representative please call and email your displeasure with their attitude toward consumers and ask them what special interest they are serving.

Costa, Paul – Chair
Boyle, Brendan F.
Burns, Frank
Davis, Tina M.
Harhai, R. T.
Kotik, Nick
Mahoney, Tim
Ravenstahl, Adam
Sabatina, John P.
Wheatley, Jake

 

Liquor Store Privatization Vote Expected Thurs 

House Passes Special Ed Bill

House Passes Special Ed Bill — The Pennsylvania House voted unanimously last week in support of legislation to address the state’s distribution of special education funding, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)

House Bill 2 would create a 15-member legislative commission on special education funding to develop a new formula for distributing any increases in funding over the levels distributed in the 2010-11 school year.

The commission would be expected to develop a more effective funding formula that must meet certain requirements, including: establishing three cost categories for students receiving special education services, ranging from least intensive to most intensive; obtaining a student count for each school district averaged for the three most recent school years to correspond to each cost category; assigning a weight to each category of disability; and developing a fair system for distributing increases among school districts to determine the amount of funding that each school will receive under the new formula.

In addition, the commission would be required to issue a report of its findings no later than Sept. 30.

Currently, state funding for special education is distributed based on an estimate that special education students make up 16 percent of the overall student population in each school district.

House Bill 2 now goes to the Senate for consideration.

 

House Passes Special Ed Bill

Property Tax Independence Act Introduced

Rhetorically asking what Pennsylvanians would be willing to give to completely replace the school district property tax, March 12, State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)  held up a penny at a Capitol news conference and described how the Property Tax Independence Act (House Bill 76) could accomplish this huge goal with something so small.

Cox and his colleagues were officially introducing the new Property Tax Independence Act that  would replace school property taxes with several other state revenue sources.

The legislation calls for a 1 cent increase in the state sales tax (from 6 percent to 7 percent) and a 1.27-cent increase in the state income tax (from 3.07 percent to 4.34 percent). The plan also would use existing state revenues from gaming and would close special interest loopholes in the state sales tax.

More about the plan can be found on Cox’s website.

Property Tax Independence Act Introduced

Property Tax Independence Act Introduced

Improved Property Tax Independence Act

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers will unveil the new and improved Property Tax Independence Act on noon, tomorrow, March 12,   in Harrisburg, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) who is one of the bill’s sponsors.

Watch the news conference live on Tuesday at noon by visiting www.RepJimCox.com.

Cox introduced a similar bill last year that would have replaced the property tax as a means of funding schools with something less endangering to the shelters of  those who have lost income such as the unemployed or those on fixed income such as the disabled and senior citizens.

Improved Property Tax Independence Act

Improved Property Tax Independence Act

School Tax Rebates Still Being Accepted

Applications for Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program are currently being accepted, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

Eligible participants can receive a rebate of up to $650 based on their rent or property taxes paid in 2012. The program benefits income-eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65 years or older, widows and widowers 50 years or older, and those 18 years or older with permanent disabilities.

Renters may earn up to $15,000 annually and qualify for the program, while home owners may earn up to $35,000. Exclude 50 percent of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits when calculating income.

Residents are reminded to provide all the necessary income, property tax or rental information required to process claims quickly and accurately. Applications are due by June 30, with rebates being mailed after July 1.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms are available here.

“While the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program helps some homeowners, I remain committed to the complete replacement of Pennsylvania’s archaic school property tax system,” Cox said.

He said that those interested in learning  about the Property Tax Independence Act (House Bill 76), that he is  sponsoring should visit his webite:  http://www.repjimcox.com

The bill would completely replace the school property tax with other funding mechanisms.

School Tax Rebates Still Being Accepted

School Tax Rebates Still Being Accepted

RACP Cut Of $600 Million OK’d By House

RACP Cut Of $600 Million OK’d By House — The Pennsylvania House has passed a measure to put new controls in place to curtail levels of public debt for projects funded by the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

RACP is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic and historical improvement projects with a focus on job creation. Created in 1999 with an initial debt ceiling of $1.2 billion, the RACP debt ceiling has been raised six times since then, pushing it up to $4.05 billion.

House Bill 493 decreases the RACP debt ceiling from its current $4.05 billion to $3.45 billion, an immediate reduction of $600 million.

In addition, the bill puts in place important transparency measures. Eligible projects must meet specific criteria, including generating substantial increases in or maintaining current levels of economic activity, having substantial regional economic impacts, including at least 50 percent of non-state funding participation and having a total project cost of at least $1 million.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

 

RACP Cut Of $600 Million OK’d By House

RACP Cut Of $600 Million OK'd By House