Measures taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus last week mean Senate and House members are scheduled to come back to a Capitol Building closed to the public, lobbyists and anyone who doesn’t work in the building.

The Senate will not convene in Harrisburg as planned on March 16, but is still planning on meeting the 17th and 18th, but that could change.

The House is still planning to be in session three days.

Both the Senate and House trimmed their workload by eliminating 15 hearings and committee meetings from their schedules, but they still have plenty to do.

There were also 22 House and Senate campaign fundraisers on the schedule for this week, but some have been postponed.

Both Senate and House leadership pledged to support state efforts to deal with the coronavirus, but they will also take the opportunity to move bills along they believe will help them in the April 28 Primary.

Click Here for the latest on the state’s response to the coronavirus.

Budget

The Senate is getting an early start Monday at moving bills designed to begin the conversation on how to make up as much as $1.4 billion in supplemental funding needed to pay for medical assistance and other costs that exceeded the FY 2019-20 appropriations.

You could also call it a “structural deficit,” but few members use that term.

Special Election

Lest we forget, on March 17 there will be three special elections to fill House seats in Bucks, Mercer and Westmoreland counties and according to House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) they will go on as planned, even though Bucks County is in the area with the strictest social distancing recommendations.

The cost to taxpayers to hold them separately before the April 28th regular primary-- between $178,000 to $500,000 on average.

Special election dates are set by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate who are now both Republican  Read more here.

Ways To Lower 67% Recidivism Rate

On March 11, Gov. Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the findings and recommendations of the PA Reentry Council which looked at ways to reduce Pennsylvaia’s 67 percent inmate recidivism rate.

The report addresses  housing, employment, social services, mental and physical healthcare, including substance use disorder treatment, education and family services.  The report includes 37 recommendations for reducing the recidivism rate.  Read more here.

NewsClips:

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3/16/2020