Clarion River, Venango County

The Senate left town on a six-hour call after the Appropriations Committee reported out a $750 million highway and transit funding bill. The House voted 102 to 96 to non-concur in the Senate-passed general state budget sending the bill back to the Senate and a possible conference committee. The House plans to return to session July 2.

Gov. Rendell blamed the budget hold up on the Senate because they refused to adopt a tax on residential and business electric bills to support his $850 million Energy Independence Initiative bond issue to fund clean and renewable energy projects. Gov. Rendell is insisting his energy proposal be adopted before he signs the state budget.

Legislation to enact the fee to support the energy program is pending in the House Rules Committee -- House Bill 1201 (George-D-Clearfield)-- and in a companion bill is in the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee – Senate Bill 716 (Musto-D-Luzerne).

Various combinations of legislative leaders and staff from the Rendell Administration are cloistered away hashing through the issues. If talk could generate energy, the Capitol at this time of year could power the country.

The Senate Appropriations Committee’s approval of a $750 million highway and transit funding bill did not please Gov. Rendell who has already said that amount of money may not be enough. Gov. Rendell said the Commonwealth needs at least $1 billion in new transportation funding.

On the energy issues, the House approved another piece of the Governor’s Energy Independence Initiative House Bill 1203 (Hornaman-D-Erie), although not the bill that includes the system benefit fee to fund the program.

The House also sent Senate Bill 815 (Musto-D-Luzerne), extending the storage tank pollution prevention program through 2012, to the Governor for his action. House Bill 43 (Rubley-R-Chester) establishing uniform environmental covenants for brownfield site redevelopment was also passed and sent to the Senate for its action.

In a bipartisan vote of 36 to 14, the Senate passed one potential solution to funding the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund in Senate Bill 913 (MJWhite-R-Venango) that would transfer $3.3 million of proceeds from the Realty Transfer Tax each month to the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund before the allocations are made in the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. (See separate article.)

The Senate also took final action on House Bill 13 (Readshaw-D-Allegheny) relating to landowner liability and opening land to recreation and sent the bill to the Governor.

House Bill 496 (George-D-Clearfield), that would increase fees on nuclear power plants and for transportation escorts, was amended by the Senate and sent back to the House for a concurrence vote.

(See Senate and House Bills moving for a complete list of actions.)

The lack of a state budget will mean a shutdown in “non-essential” state services and slots casinos beginning July 9, according to the Rendell Administration.

Gov. Rendell reminded legislators that as mayor of Philadelphia, he took the brunt of a 40-day transit strike.

As legislation continues to fly back and forth between the House and Senate, Calendars and Committee meeting schedules are almost meaningless.

In this Digest we capture the movement of bills of interest so far this week, but we will publish a special issue next week when (we hope) the budget dust has settled.

NewsClip: Stalemate Emerges Over State Budget, Rendell’s Other Priorities

State Budget is Late for 5th Year

Rendell, Legislators at Odds, Budget Expires

Changes, Yes, But Budget’s Still a Struggle

House Rejects Budget on Deadline as Senators Leave Town

Senate Advances Transit Package

House Approves $500 Million Capital Budget

Bumsted: Poor, Poor, Philly Loses Again

Session Schedule

The Senate is on a six-hour call and House is scheduled to be back in voting session July 2.

PA Environment Digest Video Blog

On the Hill

· On the Senate/House Agenda/ Bills Introduced

· Senate/House Bills Moving

· Senate Committee Moves Mine Families First, Transmisison Line Bills, Nuclear Fees

· Senate Approves Hazardous Sites Cleanup Funding Plan, Others Pending

· Environmental Covenants Bill Ensures Brownfields Remain Safe

· House Committee Holds Hearing on Flooding Along the Delaware River

· Senate Confirms New PUC Commissioners

Other News

· 2007 Friends of the Lehigh River Award Recipients Recognized

· Public Comment Invited on Wild Brook Trout Management Plan

· Rural Water Assn. Announces Professional Office Conference

· Penn State Shows Running Tractors on Straight Biofuels is (Bio) logical

· Consumers Calculate How Energy Use Contributes to Greenhouse Gas Emissions

· Emerald Ash Borer Found in Pennsylvania

· Guided Tours of Regal Fritillary Butterfly Habitat Slated at Fort Indiantown Gap

· Young Male Falcon Found Dead, Three Others Fledge Successfully

· Game Commission Board Approves Acquisition of More Than 340 Acres

· PA CleanWays Announces Illegal Dumping Surveys in 11 New Counties

· Breneisen Named Recycling Markets Program Manager

Feature

· Bald Eagles Heighten Their Presence in Pennsylvania

Go To: PA Environment Digest Calendar Page

6/29/2007