Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Photo: Shutterstock

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action from the week of Feb. 17. Both houses of the General Assembly were in recess at press time. Members of the Pennsylvania Senate and state House of Representatives were scheduled to return to session March 16.

Opioid Addiction

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Feb. 18 that the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is awarding nearly $1.5 million in federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA) grants to seven single-county authorities (SCAs) to coordinate criminal justice diversion programs for individuals with opioid use disorder.

"Unfortunately, individuals suffering from OUD often have criminal justice involvement, but throwing the individual in jail does not address the actual problem—the illness," Wolf said.

"These grants will help establish new programs to provide an alternative to incarceration and potentially get more people into treatment and recovery."

The largest grant, of nearly $400,000, was directed to the Lancaster County authority, according to the statement. Programs in Bucks and Montgomery counties were slated to receive $306,000 and $251,000, respectively.

Awarded SCAs are expected to use funding to implement new programs and expand existing programs like the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, administered through the Office of the Attorney General. Awardees will collaborate with local police departments, the district attorney, and treatment providers to provide coordinated treatment and support services for individuals whose criminal behavior is directly due to their substance use disorder.

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

During Wolf's second term, DDAP is placing a heavy focus on reducing stigma associated with substance use disorder, intensifying primary prevention efforts, strengthening treatment systems, and empowering sustained recovery. The aim of these efforts is to positively influence the knowledge and behavior around the topic of addiction.

Medicaid Services

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale on Feb. 18 said he is launching 10 audits to ensure patients receive the Medicaid services for which taxpayers pay, with a focus on services for older adults and people with intellectual disabilities.

"Vendors hired by the Department of Human Services provide services that cost taxpayers billions of dollars annually," DePasquale said. "My audits help to make sure that the services being billed to the state are actually provided to patients."

Ten vendors that provide a variety of medical and human services were notified Feb. 11 that auditors will begin reviewing records.

"Taxpayers have a right to know that the investments they make in helping their most vulnerable neighbors are being used efficiently and effectively," DePasquale added.

DePasquale said the audits are being conducted in cooperation with Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, who sponsored the legislation authorizing these audits.

Cleaner Coal

The Wolf administration should aggressively pursue federal funding that would promote the development of innovative cleaner coal technologies, Pennsylvania Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said Feb. 18.

Pittman said Pennsylvania should vie for its share of $64 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding available for the development of carbon capture technology that provides cleaner, more reliable and highly efficient coal plants with zero or near-zero emissions.

"Together, we can champion opportunities available to invest in innovation that will lead to the construction of the next generation of coal-generated power plants around the communities in which current facilities are located," Pittman wrote in a letter to Wolf. "We can meet your oft stated desire of reducing carbon emissions from electric generation while preserving economic opportunities in rural Pennsylvania. It is my sincere hope your administration will take seriously the potential of CCT and recognize its capacity to ensure Pennsylvania remains a net exporter of electricity."

The federal grant program was announced earlier this month by U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette.

Illegal Towing

Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Feb. 17 that he is seeking restitution for more than 200 consumers and sanctions against a Philadelphia towing company for violating the terms of a previous agreement it had with his Office of Attorney General.

According to a statement from the OAG, the settlement agreement, in the form of an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC), resulted from an investigation that found George Smith Towing had illegally towed cars from various locations throughout Philadelphia, and for violating the city's towing ordinance.

But the Office of Attorney General received more than 200 complaints from consumers alleging conduct by George Smith Towing in breach of the AVC.

"When businesses and individuals make commitments and enter into agreements with my office, I expect them to deliver on their promises and hit the brakes on their bad behavior," Shapiro said. "This settlement was to ensure consumers received restitution for the company's violations and to stop these bad towing practices. George Smith Towing has abandoned its responsibilities in our settlement and, today, we are taking further action to make sure they don't evade their responsibilities to those they ripped off."

The towing company said it was working toward resolving the new complaints.

"We've enjoyed a good working relationship with the Attorney General's Office so far. We have turned over a significant amount of information about the business's transactions history and operations. We look forward to an amicable resolution with the AG's office in the near future," said a statement provided by George Smith Towing to CBS' Philadelphia affiliate.

Lawmaker Retirement

State Rep. Rosita Youngblood, D-Philadelphia, who was the first black woman to serve in a leadership post in the state House of Representatives, announced Feb. 17 her intention to retire at the end of her current term.

"This has been an incredible journey!" said Youngblood, the Democratic Caucus secretary, in a letter to Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny. "The heartfelt gratitude I have for the privilege to serve as a state legislator in the Pennsylvania House of Representative is immeasurable."

Youngblood was first elected to the House in 1994 and will leave public service after 26 years in office.

Among Youngblood's priorities, according to her letter to Dermody, was the creation of the Kinship Care Program, which facilitates the placement of dependent children with extended family members. She also championed the Newborn Protection Act, which allows babies up to 28 days old to be left in the care of a hospital or police without criminal liability. From 2011 to 2015, she served as chairwoman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, where she was instrumental in keeping a gaming license in Philadelphia.

"I have been blessed beyond measure to represent North and Northwest Philadelphia, but I know the time is right to step down from my position," she said.