Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg. Photo: Waldteufel – Fotolia

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action from the week of Dec. 10. Both houses of the General Assembly are in recess, with no session days scheduled for the remainder of the year. Members of the new Pennsylvania Senate and state House of Representatives are set to be sworn into office Jan. 1.

Voting Equipment

While speaking in northeastern Pennsylvania on Dec. 12, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said it was “outrageous” if, as reported, the director of the Luzerne County Elections Bureau accepted trips from a vendor that provided the county's voting equipment and electronic poll books.

The official, Marisa Crispell, took trips to Las Vegas and the vendor's home state of Nebraska, according to media reports. She did not provide comment on the report but according to the PAHomePage website has previously said she went on those trips as a member of a customer advisory board for the vendor. Crispell said she resigned from that board nearly a year ago.

“The idea that any public official in Pennsylvania would go on a junket, paid for by a company for which they're helping to get taxpayer dollars, is a disgrace,” he said. “We're going to question this individual to find out what they did in Vegas. I want to know why the trip wasn't reported on their ethics form. If the trip was appropriate, why wasn't it listed on the ethics form?”

DePasquale said further that he would be launching a statewide review of the practices of election equipment vendors.

“The security of our election system is a principal foundation of our democracy. There's no debate; people must have faith in our system,” he said.

“Having any vendor pay for a junket is unacceptable. As far as I know, no laws have been broken. But I want to know what's going on in the rest of our counties.”

Opioid Crisis

Gov. Tom Wolf visited the Dauphin County State Health Center on Dec. 10 to launch “Stop Overdoses in PA: Get Help Now Week” and receive a free naloxone kit, which all Pennsylvanians can do Dec. 13 at one of 80 locations, the administration announced.

“As the commonwealth and the nation continue to battle the opioid crisis, it's imperative that we keep those suffering from opioid use disorder alive, so they can get into treatment,” Wolf said in a statement. “This is a disease we are fighting and those with it need to be treated with the same respect and care as those who are battling any other illness.”

Naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, was given away free Dec. 13 but is also is carried at most pharmacies across the state year-round, the administration pointed out, and made available to many with public and private insurance at pharmacies either for free or at a low cost.

Since November 2014, more than 20,000 people have been revived with naloxone by police officers and EMS providers in Pennsylvania.

“People should know that we are all first responders in the opioid epidemic and we must all be equipped to help in any way we can,” Wolf said. “Having a naloxone kit in your car or home may mean you can save a life and help someone into recovery.”

GOP Policy

The state House of Representatives Majority Policy Committee on Dec. 11 named 10 new deputy leaders for the upcoming session.

Chairwoman Donna Oberlander, R-Clarion, said the slate reflects Pennsylvania's geographic diversity while also benefiting from the broad range of legislative, professional and community experiences shared by the selected members.

“Together, we will be examining a wide range of issues that impact Pennsylvania residents and working to develop sound public policies which we anticipate introducing and advancing through the House this session,” Oberlander said in a statement.

The new deputy leaders are:

• Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, who is starting her sixth term. • Rep. Mindy Fee, R-Lancaster, who was elected in November to her fourth term. • Rep. Marcia Hahn, R-Northampton, who is entering her fifth term. • Rep. Zach Mako, R-Northampton, who is going into his second term. • Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland, who is beginning his second full term. • Rep. Chris Quinn, R-Delaware, who is beginning his second full term. • Rep. Tommy Sankey, R-Clearfield, who was elected to his fourth term. • Rep. Craig Staats, R-Bucks, who is entering his third term. • Rep. Justin Walsh, R-Fayette, who is entering his second term. • Rep. Jeff Wheeland, R-Lycoming, who is beginning his third term.

Delozier, Fee, Mako, Nelson, Quinn, Sankey, Staats, Walsh and Wheeland are new to policy committee leadership, according to the statement, while Hahn and Nelson are returning.