News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
Laws proposed or passed in the Pennsylvania Legislature
State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) reports that the Pennsylvania House’s Legislative Budget and Finance Committee held a hearing, recently, which included the topic of combining the state’s Game Commission and the Fish and Boat Commission.
The merger would save the state $5 million annually it was estimated.
It was also noted that news laws Act 24 and Act 26 of 2014 reduce the length of term for commissioners from eight years to four.
By Lisa Esler
Currently, Harrisburg is considering “Paycheck Protection” legislation, known as HB1507, a bill sponsored by Rep Bryan Cutler. HB 1507 effectively bans all use of public resources to collect, bundle and transmit public sector union dues and PAC contributions as a service to the unions and their members. The Senate version of the bill is SB1034.
Neither version would end collective bargaining rights of the unions.
Under Paycheck Protection legislation, school districts and
counties would stop collecting dues for the unions via automatic payroll deduction. Seven states have already banned this practice.
Public union members, such as teachers and state and county
public employees, will be responsible for paying their own dues and
political contributions directly to the unions. This would bring public
sector unions, which are private organizations, in line with any other
private organization or business.
With Paycheck Protection in effect, taxpayers’ resources such as
our school district or government entity would no longer act as a
collection agency for the unions.
Dues and political contributions are used by the unions to lobby for or against legislation for their members’ best interest, many times conflicting with the taxpayer’s best interest. Pension reform would be the best example of this. It is also used to bargain for better wages and generous benefits which are paid with tax money.
While unions claim the cost to collect their dues is negligible,
that is not the issue. The issue is the breach of public trust and
conflicts of interest in using public resources to assist funding
political activities that may be against the political views or best
interests of the public.
When legislators depend on special interest contributions to fund
their elections, their legislative decisions will surely follow the
money, not the best interest of their constituents. Without Paycheck
Protection, this unfair cycle will continue with the poor taxpayer’s
best interest and concerns being silenced.
Polls show popular support for passage of Paycheck Protection. In
fact, one poll shows 58 percent support among union households!
Paycheck Protection is the most important issue because it
directly affects all other legislation in Harrisburg. Putting a stop to
this practice is the right thing to do.
Let’s educate ourselves on this issue and encourage our lawmakers
to fight for the best interest of the Pa. taxpayer instead of bowing to
union pressure for the status quo.
Lisa Esler is a member of the Penn Delco School Board in Delaware County, Pa.
The Pennsylvania House Human Services Committee, last week, approved a resolution to establish a task force to examine the rising trend in the use of heroin and abuse of prescription opioid drugs across the state reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
House Resolution 659 would direct the Joint State Government Commission to create a task force consisting of four members appointed by the Speaker of the House. It also calls for the formation of an advisory committee to include representatives from a wide variety of groups which are connected to the battle against drugs in Pennsylvania. The list would include the Department of Public Welfare, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Medical Society, among others.
The prescription drug problem and heroin problem in Pennsylvania have reached epidemic levels with hundreds of overdoses and overdose deaths being reported across the Commonwealth, says Cox.
A bill that would improve enforcement of the state’s preemption
over local firearms and ammunition regulations has passed the judiciary committee and is now before the full Pennsylvania House, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
House Bill 2011 any
jurisdiction that imposes illegal firearm ordinances to reimburse
attorney fees and costs to any party who successfully challenges the
ordinance.
Also passed out of the judiciary committee to the full House last week were:
House Bill 1091 that would make possession of an unlicensed gun on public streets or property in Philadelphia a third-degree felony and impose a mandatory two-year sentence.
House Bill 1243 that would require the Pennsylvania State Police to send mental health data within 90 days to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which is used to check the background of individuals attempting to acquire a firearm nationwide. The bill would additionally require ongoing submissions to the national database within 48 hours of the state police receiving mental health data.
House Bill 1498 that would remove the requirement that a gun be visible during the commission of a crime of violence to impose the mandatory minimum five-year sentence. It would also apply the requirement that a victim be placed in reasonable fear only to the use of a replica firearm.
Frankly, the mandates in HB 1091 and HB 1948 are a bit troubling and it would be wiser and more just to allow a judge to consider things like the perpetrator’s criminal history before handing out such stiff sentences.
The House Education Committee passed a measure last week to require the employment history to be checked for applicants for school positions involving direct contact with children, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
What is to be looked for is instances involving sexual predation.
House Bill 2063 would apply to all public schools, private schools, nonpublic schools, intermediate units and area vocational-technical schools in the Commonwealth.
The measure moves to the full House.
The Pennsylvania House State Government Committee held a hearing last week on a bill to establish strict criteria and reporting guidelines for public bodies that enter into private “executive session” meetings.
House Bill 1671 would narrow the instances when an executive session could be called. It would also require an audio recording of the executive session so if an allegation arises that the meeting was improperly held, it can be verified later by a judge. In addition, the bill would require the solicitor to advise the body on whether the topic it plans to discuss in executive session is appropriate. That advice would also be recorded.
Currently, no record of executive session is kept, so any allegations of impropriety are very difficult to prove.
The full House is considering a bill to protect police dogs, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
The Judiciary Committee last week unanimously voted to advance a bill to strengthen felony charges for anyone who deliberately harms or kills a K-9 officer in the line of duty.
House Bill 2026 would charge any individual who willfully or maliciously tortures, mutilates, injures, disables, poisons or kills a K-9 officer with a second-degree felony, punishable by a maximum fine of $25,000 and 10 years in prison. The measure was introduced in response to the fatal stabbing six weeks ago of Pittsburgh K-9 officer Rocco, whose death drew nearly 1,200 people to the funeral, including many police officers and their K-9 partners.
A person who calls to seek medical attention for someone overdosing on drugs could be immune from prosecution under legislation approved by the House Judiciary Committee, reports State Rep Jim Cox (R-129)
Under House Bill 1149, immunity would be offered as long as an individual provided the correct name and location, cooperated with the responders, and remained with the person needing medical attention until the responders arrived.
Currently, a person who contacts law enforcement or emergency personnel by reporting a drug overdose or transporting someone to get help could face prosecution for possession, use or other offenses related to the presence of the controlled substance at the scene. If prosecuted, their emergency telephone call or actions would be admissible against them. The goal of the bill is to reduce drug overdose deaths, which have increased substantially over the last two decades.
The bill is now before the full House.
John Kane, who is expected to be the Democrats nominee in the race to fill the 26th District Pennsylvania State Senate seat being vacated by Republican Ted Erickson, has released, according to the Delaware County Daily Times, a statement slamming HB 1154, the bill recently passed by the State House that would amend the criminal code to prohibit harassment, stalking and the “threat to use weapons of mass destruction.”
Kane claims it seeks to outlaw the right to picket against
unfair or unsafe practices.
“Picketing and protest are essential rights that every American should be guaranteed,” said Kane, of Ridley, who is the business manager for Plumbers Union Local 690
Um, John, taking photos of kids at school bus stops and abusing women in restaurants is not picketing.
Hey, nobody is going to stop you from having a couple of guys standing near a job site wearing signs saying “unfair”
Providing they aren’t blocking anybody’s right of way, of course.
We suspect you will still be able to set up those stupid inflatable giant rats too.
The Republican in the race is County Council Chairman Tom McGarrigle, of Springfield.
Go Tom.
HB 1154 still must be passed by the GOP-controlled state senate and signed by Gov. Corbett. It’s not as done a deal as one would think it should be as there are Republicans in that body who are in bed with union bosses and other special interests as much as the typical Democrat.
The Pennsylvania House, today, March 12, passed HB 1154 that would amend the criminal code to prohibit harassment, stalking and the “threat to use weapons of mass destruction” by union members during labor disputes.
The vote was 115-74. There were no Republican dissenters. Among the Democrats who voted for the bill was Greg Vitali of the 166th District.
Greg reportedly got up and spoke against the bill after he saw that he was a yes vote leading some to speculate that he wasn’t paying attention when he hit the button.
The bill now goes to the state senate.