Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg. Photo: Waldteufel – Fotolia

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action for the week of Jan. 27. Both houses of the General Assembly were in recess at press time, and the Pennsylvania Senate and state House of Representatives were scheduled to return to session Monday.

Toxic Schools

Gov. Tom Wolf on Jan. 29 said he would ask the General Assembly for $1 billion in funding during the upcoming fiscal year to remove lead and asbestos from schools.

The money would come in the form of grants from the state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, Wolf said.

Asbestos and lead have created a problem plaguing many of the state's aging school buildings and causing health concerns for students and their parents, teachers and staff.

In the same announcement Wolf also said he would propose an additional $100 million in funding to remediating existing toxins in day care centers, homes and public water systems.

"Decades ago, well-intentioned Pennsylvanians constructed our homes, schools, waterways and other structures out of asbestos and lead because they were thought to be harmless, even superior materials," Wolf said. "Now we know the serious harm both can cause. To build a better Pennsylvania, we first need to fix our foundation, which is why the five lead and asbestos removal initiatives I'm outlining today are so important."

As an RACP project authorized under the Capital Budget Itemization Act, the school asbestos- and lead-abatement effort must have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact, and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues or other measures of economic activity.

The Wolf administration also said that new federal legislation could free up to $90 million in clean water funding to address lead in drinking water by providing grants for lead service line replacement.

Wolf also announced plans to partner with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to add $10 million in federal money to a $4 million state investment aimed at lead remediation activities in places where children have been exposed to high levels of lead.

The state is also seeking grants of $1.7 million that would develop and implement a lead testing program in schools and child care facilities throughout the state.

"Together, these programs have the potential to assist thousands of Pennsylvanians with living healthier lives free of lead and asbestos danger," Wolf said. "We have the opportunity to correct the past, and to build a brighter future. Pennsylvania should be a place free of lead and asbestos."

Water Infrastructure

Wolf on Jan. 29 announced the investment of $119 million for 18 drinking water, wastewater and other projects in 15 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority.

"The investments made today in Pennsylvania's communities continue to demonstrate the need for reliable and safe infrastructure," Wolf said in a statement. "These projects will continue to ensure that citizens … have access to up-to-date, sound systems that provide clean water for every community."

The funding for these projects originates from a combination of state funds approved by voters, including Growing Greener, Marcellus Legacy funds as well as federal grants from the Environmental Protection Agency.

"Every day, we see more and more evidence of the impact that neglected infrastructure and environmental irresponsibility have on our communities," Wolf said. "Significant investments like the ones made by PENNVEST today and programs like Restore Pennsylvania continue to put the commonwealth on the right track to clean water and healthy living environments."

Opioid Recovery

Wolf on Jan. 30 announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs will be making available $5 million in funding for grants to support people in recovery from opioid use disorder and their families. Three million dollars in grants will be available for entities to deliver employment support services to individuals in recovery from opioid use disorder seeking to enter the workforce, and $2 million will go toward funding for entities to deliver recovery support services.

The grants are part of the $55.9 million grant secured by the Wolf administration to bolster the state's response to the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic.

"A key component to an individual's sustained recovery is the right services and supports—whether that's help finding and retaining a job or help incorporating family into the recovery process," Wolf said in a statement. "Providing access to support is vital to sustained recovery and a successful, fulfilling future for everyone involved in the journey through opioid use disorder."

Applications and project summaries for both grants can be found on the DDAP website, and there is a deadline for receipt by noon Feb. 21.

Minimum Wage

Wolf on Jan. 28 renewed his call to raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage to $12 an hour with a pathway to $15.

The General Assembly has not passed a minimum wage increase in more than a decade, and it stands at $7.25 per hour.

The proposal would deliver an immediate wage increase to 1 million workers, provide better financial stability for women, rural and tipped workers, enable thousands of people to work their way off public assistance, and grow the economy for everyone, according to a Wolf administration statement.

"There's momentum to finally raise the wage, but momentum in the Capitol doesn't put food on the table in workers' homes," Wolf said. "Too many workers are still struggling to get by because Pennsylvania hasn't raised the minimum wage in more than a decade. The cost of living goes up and Pennsylvanians wait as 29 other states, including all of our neighbors, raised the minimum wage for their workers."

"Pennsylvanians shouldn't earn less than workers in West Virginia, Ohio or New Jersey for the same job. We are a state known for our tremendous work ethic, but when jobs don't pay enough, people can't afford basics like food, housing, child care and transportation. That should be unacceptable to all of us. Hard-working people deserve the dignity of being able to support themselves."

But Majority Leader Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, argued that a $15 minimum wage would lead to job losses and pointed to rising wages in Pennsylvania in the absence of a minimum wage hike. Cutler said Department of Labor and Industry statistics reflect a 25% uptick in wages over the past 10 years.

"Today, you can walk into all kinds of businesses offering entry-level work, with no experience necessary, and find employment paying well above the minimum wage," Cutler said in a statement.

He said the focus of the General Assembly majority would be on moving workers out of low-paying jobs and into family-sustaining careers.

"Today, Gov. Wolf urged Pennsylvania to move towards a $15 per hour minimum wage with annual increases," Cutler said. "That is a wage that study after study shows would result in job losses across the employment spectrum. We stand committed to helping Pennsylvanians earn as much as possible, but not if it means losing the very jobs workers rely upon."

The administration's proposal would raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour on July 1, with annual 50 cent increases until reaching $15 an hour in 2026, according to the statement, which stressed that a higher minimum wage would result in fewer people needing public assistance. At $15 an hour, nearly 93,000 adults will leave Medicaid and the workers will generate more than $300 million in state tax revenue in 2026.

Presidential Primary

Pennsylvanians could play a more prominent role in future Presidential primary elections under a bill unanimously approved by the Pennsylvania Senate on Jan. 29, according to Sen. John Gordner, R-Columbia, the prime sponsor of the measure.

The move would not affect the 2020 primary, but would take effect in 2024.

Under current law, most presidential primary elections are already decided before Pennsylvania voters have a chance to cast their ballots in late April.

Senate Bill 779 would move up the date of the primary in Presidential election years from the fourth Tuesday in April to the third Tuesday in March. This would allow voters in Pennsylvania to cast their ballots the same day as other influential states, including Arizona, Florida and Illinois.

"For many years, the selection of the Presidential nominee has already been determined by the time Pennsylvania voters have gotten the opportunity to cast their ballot," Gordner said. "My bill will allow our citizens to play a much larger role in determining the outcome of these critical elections."

The bill would not break any rules set forth by the major political parties, Gordner said. SB 779 was sent to the state House of Representatives for consideration.

DUI Offenders

The Pennsylvania Senate on a 43-6 vote Jan. 28 passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Tom Killion, R-Delaware, requiring the use of innovative technology to combat drunken driving.

The measure was popularly named "Deana's Law" in memory of a person killed in 2019 by a driver convicted of his sixth DUI, Killion said. The driver in that case pleaded guilty to third-degree murder.

Senate Bill 773 would mandate the use of continuous alcohol monitoring (CAM) devices for the first time in Pennsylvania. Similar to home arrest monitors and other devices affixed to offenders, CAM devices are strapped to the wearer.

At regular intervals, CAM devices sample and test the wearer's insensate perspiration for the presence of alcohol. As sensitive and reliable as Breathalyzers, CAM devices upload test results to a base station installed in the wearer's home and transmits them to a monitoring agency.

"CAM devices work. They effectively deter offenders from consuming alcohol," Killion said. "You keep someone from drinking, you keep them from turning a vehicle into a killing machine." The bill would also:

• Increase jail time for those convicted of three DUIs or more.
• Require the imposition of consecutive sentences after conviction.

"Repeat DUI offenders callously disregard the lives and safety of others," Killion said. "Those convicted of these crimes should not be allowed the luxury of serving DUI sentences concurrently."

SB 773 moves to the state House of Representatives for consideration.

Senate Committees

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, on Jan. 27 announced new chairmen for three of the 22 Senate standing committees for the remainder of the 2019-20 legislative session.

The Aging & Youth Committee is set to be led by Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair. Ward, previously chairwomen of the Urban Affairs & Housing Committee, is now set to steer the panel responsible for reviewing legislation that affects the programs dedicated to senior citizens and younger Pennsylvanians, including those relating to prescription drug benefits and lottery-funded programs.

"Pennsylvania has one of the largest senior populations in the nation, and protecting the benefits they rely on most is an important part of the committee's work," Ward said in a statement. We have also made great strides in safeguarding young people against neglect and abuse in recent years, and the committee will continue to play a critical role in that effort going forward."

The State Government Committee is set to be led by Sen. John DiSanto, R-Dauphin. DiSanto, who is ending his service as Aging & Youth chairman, is set to direct the work of the State Government panel, which has broad oversight jurisdiction over the executive branch, including the Office of the Governor, Departments of State and General Services, as well as the Civil Service and State Ethics Commissions. The committee also oversees the administration of the Lobbying Disclosure Law and Office of Open Records.

"As the senator representing the capital region with many state employees and private contractors as constituents, I will also work to ensure state government is acting as a fair employer and purchaser that makes decisions based on their merits," DiSanto said.

The Urban Affairs & Housing is set to be led by Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana. The committee oversees the operations of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and reviews legislation and resolutions related to a number of subjects pertaining to housing and community revitalization.

"While the title of the [Urban Affairs & Housing] Committee may not sound like it is applicable to my district, the reality is it is a significant committee when it comes to dealing with the issue of blight," Pittman said in a statement.