Pennsylvania Senate Republican News Brief

SENATE ACTS TO MAKE “DO NOT CALL” REGISTRATION PERMANENT

The Senate approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre) that would eliminate the need for Pennsylvania consumers to re-register on the "Do Not Call" registry every five years.

Senate Bill 1116 was approved unanimously and sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. The measure would keep a consumer’s number in the registry until they ask to be removed.

In 2002, Pennsylvanians were first given the opportunity to avoid these calls by registering for the Do Not Call list. More than one million citizens registered in a single two-week period that year, and millions more have registered in recent years. The registry returns part of any fines collected to consumers who file complaints -- up to $100. So far, more than $80,000 has been distributed in that way.

Senator Corman said: "It makes no sense for people to have to re-register, particularly if they start to receive unwanted telemarketing calls again because they don’t realize the five-year deadline has passed."

SENATE VOTES DOWN APPELLATE COURT NOMINATIONS

The Senate on Wednesday considered and voted down four nominations to Pennsylvania’s appellate courts.

Senate Republicans are hopeful that a new slate of nominations can be agreed to in June. Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) spoke on the Senate floor:

“I rise to ask for a negative vote on this package of judicial nominations. I make this request not based on the individual qualifications of the four men that Governor Rendell has nominated. Rather, I request a negative vote because the governor has chosen to ignore the constitutional directive that he make judicial nominations with the advice and consent of the Senate – and in doing so has missed a historic opportunity to provide diversity on our appellate courts."

For information on the makeup of Pennsylvania courts, please see Fast Facts, below.

SENATE VOTES TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR SCHOLASTIC SCIENCE PARTNERSHIPS

The Senate approved legislation Tuesday to formally enact into law the highly-touted Science Technology Partnerships Program, better known as "Science in Motion."

Senate Bill 472, sponsored by Sen. Bob Robbins (R-Mercer), was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. The program makes state funding available to higher education institutions to purchase high-tech science equipment – which is then shared with surrounding schools. This past year, more than 300 public, private, and parochial schools were served throughout the state by 11 higher education institutions.

Senator Robbins said: "Over the past few years, the governor has cut funding in each of his budget proposals and the Legislature has been forced to restore the money as part of the budget negotiations. With this vote today, the Senate is making it crystal clear that it supports Science in Motion."

SENATE APPROVES BILL ALLOWING MILITARY FAMILY CYBER SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

Legislation sponsored by Sen. John Pippy (R-Allegheny) to allow children of military personnel to enroll in a Pennsylvania cyber charter school was approved by the Senate on Tuesday.

Students of cyber charter schools complete coursework online using home computers, and 20,000 students are enrolled in cyber charter schools throughout Pennsylvania. Under current law, however, if a military family is stationed in another state and owns a residence in Pennsylvania, their child is not eligible to attend a Pennsylvania cyber charter school.

Senate Bill 1281 designates that if a child’s parents own a residence in the school district, that child will be considered a resident of the district. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senator Pippy said: "Passage of this legislation will correct what was surely an unintended flaw in the law, one that places another burden on military families who are already sacrificing for their country."

COMMITTEE APPROVES PLAN FUNDING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango), amended and approved the H2O PA bond issue -- legislation to provide $750 million in funding for critical water and sewer projects, stormwater projects, flood control projects, and high-hazard dam repairs.

The H2O PA bond issue – introduced as Senate Bill 2 – is sponsored by Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee Chair Jane Earll (R-Erie), Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) and Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon), and funded with revenue from the Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund. The program will be available for projects throughout Pennsylvania, with a first priority being given to those involving consolidation and a second priority being given to those involving regional projects.

For more on the H2O PA bond issue, please see In the Spotlight, below.
Senator Pileggi
Senator Earll
Senator Folmer

COMMITTEE APPROVES FORECLOSURE RELIEF AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVE

Legislation that would increase emergency mortgage assistance, provide grants and loans to homeowners facing foreclosure, and create a housing trust fund was approved Tuesday by the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee.

The Foreclosure Relief and Affordable Housing Initiative is sponsored by Sen. James Rhoades (R-Schuylkill) and Sen. John Pippy (R-Allegheny), chairman of the committee. The initiative is a $32 million effort to provide immediate assistance to families in danger of losing their homes, and to implement long-term initiatives to mitigate future downturns and expand the availability of affordable housing.

The package includes Senate Bill 1401, refinancing assistance grants for low-income homeowners; Senate Bill 1402, boosting the number of loans available through the Homeowner Equity Recovery Opportunity Loan Program and the Refinance to an Affordable Loan Program; and Senate Bill 1400, establishing a Housing Trust Fund to allow the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to support the nearly two-thirds of worthy projects presented to PHFA that go unfunded due to a lack of resources.

In addition, Senators Rhoades and Pippy are seeking increased funding for the Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, which provides loans to protect Pennsylvanians who are financially unable to make their mortgage payments and are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure.

NEW LAW HELPS UNINSURED CANCER PATIENTS OBTAIN MEDICATION

Legislation introduced by Sen. Rob Wonderling (R-Montgomery) establishing a cancer drug repository to help those in need gain access to safe, unused cancer medications was signed into law Tuesday.

Under Act 14 of 2008, cancer patients who are uninsured or underinsured could access these medications through a network of participating pharmacies and medical clinics.

The American Cancer Society has stated that unused cancer medication is a valuable resource for low-income patients. A growing number of states have already established successful cancer drug repositories, such as Wisconsin, Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas. Under Senator Wonderling’s legislation, a health care facility, health clinic, hospital, pharmacy or physician’s office could return unused drugs.

Senator Wonderling said: "New drugs are giving hope to millions of cancer patients by treating the disease in new ways, but many are expensive. We must find ways to get these life-saving drugs to the people who need them."