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Rendell Year-End Interviews Highlight Alternative Fuels, Health Care Reform

Gov. Rendell’s year-end interviews this week highlighted the priorities he expects to work on in 2007, including the need to do more to promote alternative fuels, health care reform and reforming the structure and way the General Assembly and government works.

Gov. Rendell said his biggest accomplishment this year was enactment of the Cover All Kids health insurance program and his biggest disappointment was the failure of the General Assembly to create his Jonas Salk Legacy Fund to promote biomedical research.

Interestingly, his second biggest disappointment was the failure of the federal government to implement its loan guarantee program for alternative energy projects, noting a planned facility in Schuylkill County that would produce diesel fuel from coal refuse has been stymied by the lack of federal action.

In fact, Gov. Rendell said reducing health care costs and promoting alternative energy sources would both be two of his biggest issues during his next four years.

Commenting on any changes coming among his Cabinet Secretaries, Rendell said he doesn’t see any immediate “significant” changes.

Gov. Rendell outlined several government reform initiatives he said he would push in his second term, including:

· Merit Selection for judges;

· Adopting term limits for Senate and House members;

· Campaign finance reform;

· Reducing the size of the General Assembly; and

· Creating a citizen panel to oversee redrawing legislative districts after the 2010 Census.

Session Schedule

The Senate released their session schedule through June this week—

January 2, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31

February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13

March 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28

April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30

May 1, 2, 7, 8, 21, 22

June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

The Senate and House will return for the new session on January 2, but will not do actual work until January 16 for the Senate and January 22 for the House.

PA Environment Digest Video Blog

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On the Hill

· Passing of Gov. Ray Shafer, Environmental Accomplishments Celebrated

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· Change: Stormwater Conference Now Set for April 5 & 6 in State College

· New Monitoring Matters Newsletter Available for Citizen Water Monitors

· Drop in Acid Rain Altering Appalachian Stream Water Quality

· DEP Recognizes Several Winners of the 2005 Environmental Excellence Awards

· Students Invited to Apply for 2007 Environmental Community Service Award