The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

-- New European Commission REPowerEU Plan Does Not Justify Dramatic Increase In Drilling, Gas Infrastructure Build Out PA Natural Gas Politicians Are Calling For [PaEN]

-- PA Natural Gas Politicians Want To ‘Unleash’ PA’s Gas Industry - What We Need First Is For Industry To Take Up The Slack; Oil & Gas 2.0; True Energy Independence

-- 2 Republican Senators Lay Out Agenda For Deregulating Oil & Gas Industry, Power Plants In PA  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Our Addiction To Fossil Fuels Fuel War: ‘Only Truly Addicted People Chase After Their Next Hit With Singular Focus As The Consequences Of Their Addiction Pile Up Around Them’ - By Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox, Evangelical Environmental Network-PA  [PaEN]

-- Senate Budget Hearings: PA’s Experience With New Pipeline Construction Shows State Laws Not Strong Enough To Prevent Environmental Damage, Protect Public Safety

-- CourierT: How Gasoline Prices, Ukraine, PA Energy Are Shaping 2022 Election - Favoring Republicans

-- PA House Republicans Outline Agenda For Boosting PA Energy Production: Open Delaware River Watershed & State Forest Land For Drilling, Stop RGGI Carbon Reduction Program

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA House Republicans Call For Gas Drilling On State Lands To End Reliance On Foreign Sources  [65% Of Existing Gas Leases In State Forest Land Going Unused 40% Of Gas Drilling Permits Issued By DEP Go Unused ]

-- Rep. Metcalfe: Wolf Pathetically Weak On Rejecting Russia, Traitorous Sellout Against Expanding Domestic Energy Production

-- PennLive Guest Essay: State, National Leaders Need To Get Out Of The Way Of Our Home-Grown Natural Gas Industry To Marginalize Putin’s Global Influence - Rep. Benninghoff, House Republican Leader

-- Warren Times: Sen. Corman, Candidate For Governor, Talks Oil & Gas During Warren County Campaign Stops - “I believe the energy economy is the way… to rebuild our population.” “Given what’s happening in Ukraine and our skyrocketing fuel prices, it’s important to call attention to our domestic oil producers here in Pennsylvania, like Cameron Energy.”

-- Sen. Corman, Republican Candidate For Governor, Calls For Nearly 50% Gasoline Tax Cut; Use American Rescue Plan Funds To Pay $500 Million For State Police; Float $650 Million Bond For PennDOT

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Soaring Inflation, Gasoline Prices Have PA Lawmakers Talking About Tax ‘Holidays,’ Distributing Federal Aid

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Gasoline Tax Break Merited, No Assurance Savings Will Be Passed On To Driver [Because There Is No Limit To What Oil Companies Can Charge]

-- Senate Committees To Hold March 21 Hearing On Economic Impacts Of DEP Carbon Pollution Reduction Program Covering Power Plants  [PaEN]

-- PA Cap-Star: PA Republicans Passed A Tax Break For Data Centers, Now Crypto-Miners Are Taking Advantage Of Up To $90 Million A Year By 2027

-- York Dispatch Editorial: Republicans Who Cannot Or Will Not Confront Praise Of A Tyrant Must Be Held Accountable By Their Constituents

Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week--

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week [PaEN]

Bill Calendars

House (March 21): House Bill 1161 (Mizgorski-R- Allegheny) authorizing the establishment of a local solar energy subscriber program [not preferred by clean energy advocates Read more here];  House Bill 2069 (Cutler-R- Lancaster) Amend Article III, Section 9, to exempt the disapproval of a regulation by the General Assembly from the presentment requirement for the governor’s approval or disapproval [Read more here]; House Bill 2070 (Cutler- R-Lancaster) Amend Article IV, to add a new section providing that any executive order or proclamation issued by the governor, which purports to have the force of law, may not be in effect for more than 21 days, unless extended by concurrent resolution of the General Assembly [Read more here]. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Senate (March 28): Senate Bill 284 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would load up renewable energy projects, energy efficiency products and high-efficiency locomotives with bonds to prevent their development [Read more here]; Senate Bill 597 (Stefano-R-Fayette) would impose conflicting and expensive requirements on small water and wastewater systems for no benefit to their customers and if they can’t comply they would come under the regulation of the Public Utility Commission Read more here];  Senate Bill 1030 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) to temporarily suspend Pennsylvania’s regulations which adopted California regulations related to heavy-duty vehicle diesel controls, leaving the federal standards to govern while the suspension is in effect [Read more here];  House Bill 221 (Rader-R-Monroe) authorizing use of open space preservation funding for maintenance. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

-- March 17-- Senate Appropriations Committee ends budget hearings with Governor’s Budget Secretary. 2:30 p.m.  Click Here to watch live.

-- March 21-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy and Community, Economic and Recreation Development Committees joint hearing on Economic Impacts of DEP Carbon Pollution Reduction Program Covering Power Plants (RGGI). Hearing Room 1, North Office Building starting at 1:00 p.m.  Click Here to watch live.  Click Here for more on the agenda.

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Introduced

Permit Review Procedure: House Bill 2365 (Fritz-R-Wayne) establishes one permit review procedure for all applications and approvals considered by DEP. 

Energy Windmills Near Military Installations: House Bill 2367 (Mako-R-Northampton) establishing requirements for siting energy windmills near military installations.

Southeast PA Hydrogen Hub: House Resolution 178 (Malagari-D-Montgomery) urging the Biden Administration to designate Southeastern PA a hydrogen hub.

Honoring Noble Groundhog: Senate Bill 1115 (Kane-D-Chester) designating the noble groundhog as the Official State Rodent Of Pennsylvania (sponsor summary).

Bills Announced

Senators Hutchinson (R-Venango) and Mastriano (R-Adams) announced they plan to introduce legislation to do away with key federal environmental regulations on power plants and oil and gas operations, exempt oil and gas companies from the Corporate Net Income Tax, cut permit fees and eliminate RGGI (sponsor summary).  Read more here.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

Session Schedule

Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--

House

March 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30

April 11, 12, 13, 25, 26, 27

May 23, 24, 25

June 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30

September 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21

October 24, 25, 26

November 14, 15, 16

Senate

March 28, 29, 30

April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13

May 23, 24, 25

June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30

3/14/2022