Pennsylvania Senate Republican News Brief

"The main problem with health care in both Pennsylvania and throughout the nation is that health care costs too much. In looking for ways to reduce health care costs, we are faced with two very different approaches. One approach would increase government’s role in health care, which I oppose. The other approach would decrease government’s role in health care, which I support."

-- Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon), sponsor of a package of bills to improve access to health care, testifying before the Senate Majority Policy Committee, chaired by Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre).

The Task Force on Gaming Committee, chaired by Sen. Jane Earll (R-Erie), will meet Monday to review the gaming regulatory environment in Pennsylvania. It's part of an effort to reach a consensus on how to best address and enhance the existing regulatory system.

The Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Sen. Gib Armstrong (R-Lancaster), will meet Monday to consider Senate Bill 1250, a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage sponsored by Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster).

The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster), will meet Tuesday to consider legislation providing incentives to farmers who plant and harvest bioenergy crops.

Senate Bill 1317, sponsored by Sen. Mike Waugh (R-York), would apply to crops used exclusively to produce cellulosic ethanol as an alternative motor vehicle fuel.

On Wednesday, the Committee of Conference for Senate Bill 246, chaired by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery), will meet to consider Senator Greenleaf's bill to prohibit smoking in public places and workplaces that are enclosed or substantially enclosed.

The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), will meet Wednesday to consider Senate Bill 1350, Senator Browne's bill that would create an online, searchable budget database so that the public can more easily obtain information on state spending.

SENATE ACTS TO CREATE A DO-NOT-CALL LIST FOR POLITICAL ROBO-CALLS

Legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) which would allow Pennsylvanians to stop receiving political robo-calls was approved Wednesday by the Senate, 48 to 1.

Under Senate Bill 820, the first Do-Not-Call List for political robo-calls would be required to be in use by October 15, 2008, in time for this fall's election season. The measure was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senator Pileggi said: "We just came through a hotly contested presidential primary during which some people received four or more robo-calls every day leading up to the election. These calls are an intrusion into our homes. People are busier than ever, often working multiple jobs. If you don't want to receive these calls, you should have that option."

For more on Senate Bill 820, please see In the Spotlight, below.

SENATE PASSES BILL PROTECTING CHILD CUSTODY RIGHTS OF DEPLOYED SERVICEMEN

The Senate approved legislation Wednesday sponsored by Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) aimed at protecting the child custody rights of deployed military servicemen.

Under Senate Bill 1107, if a motion for change of custody of a child of a serviceman is filed with any court while the serviceman is deployed for active duty, no court may enter an order modifying or amending any previous judgment or order, or issue a new order changing the custody arrangement for that child that existed as of the date of the serviceman's deployment.

If a custody order is changed, a court must require that upon the return of the serviceman from deployment that the custody order in effect immediately preceding the date of the deployment be reinstated. The court may not consider the absence of the eligible serviceman by reason of the deployment in determining the best interest of the child.

The failure of a serviceman to appear in court because of deployment could not be sufficient to justify a modification of a custody or visitation order. The legislation was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senator Folmer said: "Fighting for your country should not result in losing custody of your children."

COMMITTEE HOLDS PUBLIC HEARING ON DPW PHARMACEUTICAL CARVE-OUT PROPOSAL

The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Erickson (R-Delaware), held a public hearing Tuesday on the state Department of Public Welfare's proposal to carve pharmaceutical services out of its managed care programs.

Under the proposed HealthChoices 2008-09 Pharmacy Initiative, responsibility for payment and management of pharmacy services within the Medical Assistance program would be transferred from Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to DPW.

DPW Secretary Estelle Richman and representatives of MCOs (Keystone Mercy and AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan, Gateway Health Plan, and Health Partners) were among those testifying. Secretary Richman said the state could save $95 million annually when the change is fully phased in. MCO officials testified that the savings may be exaggerated and that overall quality of care could be affected.

The senator said the issue needs to be discussed as part of the process for finalizing the state budget by June 30.

Senator Erickson said: "We tried to be balanced. We had both sides of the issue presented. It appears that those who want to do the carve-out are basing it solely on savings in dollars and not on the holistic care that should be given to individuals. Furthermore, we heard today that even with this carve-out there may be additional costs."
Hearing, Part 1 (56 min)
Hearing, Part 2 (1 hour, 16 min)
Senator Erickson

COAL BED METHANE, BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT BILLS APPROVED BY COMMITTEE

Measures aimed at resolving disputes over coal bed methane wells and encouraging brownfield site redevelopment were unanimously approved Tuesday by the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango).

Senate Bill 1330, sponsored by Sen. Don White (R-Indiana), establishes a process to resolve objections between a surface land owner and the mineral rights estate owner regarding the location of coal bed methane wells or access roads. The bill creates a Coal Bed Methane Review Board to work with the surface owner and well operator and attempt to find common ground.

Senate Bill 1062, sponsored by Sen. Rob Wonderling (R-Montgomery), authorizes the state Secretary of Environmental Protection to enter into redevelopment agreements with developers who remediate brownfield sites, with developers eligible to receive a reimbursement of up to 75 percent of the remediation costs.
Sen. Mary Jo White
Sen. Don White

COMMITTEE HEARING FOCUSES ON REDUCING HEALTH CARE COSTS

The Senate Majority Policy Committee, chaired by Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre), held a public hearing Wednesday on ideas to make health care more affordable in Pennsylvania.

Among those testifying was Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon), sponsor of a package of bills aimed at reducing health care costs.

Senator Folmer said: "Reducing costs begins with finding better ways to price health insurance by making the costs proportional to the risks -- the higher the risk, the higher the cost; the lower the risk, the lower the cost. Government involvement – or interference – needlessly skews the price of insurance."

Senator Corman said: "Pennsylvania taxpayers fund health care services at over $6 billion a year, and if you add the money we get from the federal government it rises to about $14 billion. Before we ask the taxpayers of Pennsylvania to pony up more, I thought it was appropriate to look at what are some of the costs that are driving up those numbers in Pennsylvania and across the country."

For more on taxpayer support of health care programs in Pennsylvania, please see Fast Facts, below.

Hearing, Part 1 (1 hour 13 min)
Hearing, Part 2 (1 hour 22 min)

In 1996, Pennsylvania created a Do-Not-Call List for commercial telemarketers. Senate Bill 820 would establish a separate Do-Not-Call List for political robo-calls. As with the existing Do-Not Call List, the Attorney General would be responsible for maintaining the Do-Not-Call List for automated political calls.

Under Senate Bill 820, it would be illegal for any political candidate or organization – including so-called 527 groups – to make an automated political call to any resident who signs up to be on the list. Offenders would be subject to penalties of up to $1,000 per violation.

Senate Bill 820 does not prohibit live political calls. Candidates and political organizations will still be able to contact voters by telephone as long as they have a real person making the call.