News From PA House & Senate

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

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

-- Guest Essay: PA Farmers, Communities And Chesapeake Bay Will Benefit From Significant Investment Of Federal American Rescue Plan Funding In Cleaning Up Our Waterways -  By House Speaker Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster)   [PaEN]  [$500 Million Bipartisan Proposals Using American Rescue Plan Funding Wait For Action]

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Seize The Chance To Improve Water Quality In The Susquehanna River, Chesapeake Bay Watersheds

-- Bay Journal: Federal American Rescue Plan Boosts Environmental Work In Chesapeake Bay Watershed [Except PA, So Far]

-- 6th Oil/Gas Shock: Listen To What Europe Says They Need - Not What The U.S. Oil/Gas Industry Wants 

-- Rescheduled: Senate Committees Will Now Hold March 29 Hearing On Economic Impacts Of DEP Carbon Pollution Reduction Program Covering Power Plants  [PaEN]

--  Guest Essay: Pennsylvania And Virginia Face Fight Of Their Lives - [What The Coal, Natural Gas Industries Want In PA]  - By Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming)

-- Guest Essay: PA Republican Suggestions To Make Us More Dependent On Fossil Fuels Will Not Secure Our Energy Future - By  Rep. Nancy Guenst (D-Montgomery), U.S. Army Veteran & Rep. Joseph G. Webster (D-Montgomery), U.S. Air Force Colonel, Retired  [PaEN]

-- Senate Resolution Offers Hope Lawmakers May Finally Be Taking The Economic And Environmental Benefits Of Developing A Rare Earth Minerals Industry Seriously In PA [PaEN]

-- PG - Laura Legere: Awash In New Funds To Plug Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells, DEP Short On Staff To Handle The Workload

-- York Daily Record: Feds Giving PA $400 Million To Plug Dangerous Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells - Up From The Ground Comes A Bubbling Gas

-- House Environmental Committee To Hold March 28 Hearing: Oil & Gas Byproducts - Could We Live Without Them?  [PaEN]

-- WHYY: Mariner East Pipeline Opponent Running For Governor On The Green Party To Advocate For Residents Affected By Industrial Pollution

-- TribLive: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Sen. Corman Talks Energy, Gasoline Tax Holiday [There is no limit to what oil companies can charge us for gasoline]

-- PG: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Lou Barletta Says PA Could Lead The Way For U.S. Energy By Unleashing Natural Gas Industry [Tieing us even more closely to spiking natural gas prices and Russian despots]

-- City & State PA: Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Shapiro Unveils Plan To Cut Cell Phone Tax, Issues Gasoline Tax Refunds [There is no limit to shat oil companies can charge us for gasoline]

-- TribLive Editorial: Why Not A State Gasoline Tax Holiday, Gov. Wolf?  [Think About It - There are no limits on what oil companies can charge you.] 

-- PG Editorial: Gasoline Tax Holiday A Vacation From Common Sense

-- PG Guest Essay: PA Senate Bill Would Protect PA From Legionnaires Outbreaks In Drinking Water

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 28): 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   

March 28-- House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee holds a hearing on “Oil & Gas Byproducts - Could We Live Without Them?”  Room G-50 Irvis Building. 9:30 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.  Click Here for more on the agenda.

April 20-- House Republican Policy Committee hearing on exploring hardwood forestry issues in PA.  The Red Fern Banquet & Conference Center, 421 Old Kersey Road, Kersey, Elk County. 1:30 p.m.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

March 29-- 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 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch liveClick Here for more on the agenda.

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule. 

Bills Introduced

Critical Mineral Development: Senate Resolution 229 (Dush-R-Jefferson, Yudichak-I-Luzerne, Flynn-D-Lackawanna) directing the Joint State Government commission to study the economic, environmental and health impacts related to the development of a critical mineral industry in Pennsylvania (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 - Updated

March [21, 22, 23] [28-Non-voting], 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


3/21/2022

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