Welcome to "Mike's Memo," an update on what's happening in the 48th Legislative District, the State Capitol, and the progress on my "Promise to Pennsylvania," a pledge to advance government reforms, enact meaningful lawsuit abuse reform, eliminate wasteful state spending, and cut taxes. If you haven't done so already, please take a few moments to visit my website at www.senatorfolmer.com to learn more about issues that may affect you and your family.

Week of July 19, 2010

Bills Signed Into Law
The Governor signed a number of bills into law, including:

Senate Bill 87 (Act 57 of 2010): allows institutions of higher education to charge resident tuition rates for active military personnel and their dependents
Senate Bill 747 (Act 58): establishes the Sale of Transportation Lands Act to allow the Department of Transportation to sell lands that are not needed for present or future transportation purposes
Senate Bill 1044 (Act 59): authorizes the Department of Corrections to redistribute unused prescription drugs among correctional facilities
House Bill 254 (Act 49): changes to the Public Welfare Code authorizing moneys appropriated for welfare under the General Fund budget (including a Quality Care Assessment on hospitals to leverage federal moneys
House Bill 1186 (Act 50): establishes a new Department of Drug & Alcohol programs and makes changes to the PHEAA Board
House Bill 1251 (Act 51): attempts to bring Pennsylvania's insurance laws into conformity with model law of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
House Bill 1332 (Act 53): amends the Judicial Code relating to confidential communications among law enforcement officers, public safety responders, and corrections officers
House Bill 1859 (Act 54): various changes to the Game Code, including stronger penalties for poaching: shooting a deer out of season or at night from a $200-$300 fine to a minimum $1,000 fine and possibly up to a year in jail; penalties for illegally killing other large game will increase from a summary offense to a misdemeanor and repeat offenders will face felony charges
House Bill 1890 (Act 55): authorizes land transfers adjacent to the Rockville prison facility (including a long sought transfer to Penn State University)
House Bill 2289 (Act 47): establishes the Capital Budget for 2010 – 2011
House Bill 2290 (Act 48): increases the Commonwealth's general obligation borrowing by another $600 Million ("RCAP")
House Bill 2493 (Act 56): various changes to the Municipal Retirement Law relating to DROPs (Deferred Retirement Option Plans)

State Expenditures
While many are relieved this year's budget deliberations did not repeat last year's 101-day impasse, there are many questions with the 2010 – 2011 spending plan, including: its reliance on $850 Million in unlikely federal moneys, $600 Million in additional borrowing, concerns about how this money will be spent both this year and next (including $10 Million for the "Arlen Specter Library Project Center Allocation" and a similar amount for the "John P. Murtha Policy Center"), and a host of unresolved issues (like the pension crises, transportation funding, Marcellus Shale tax, and the proposed new and independent Legislative Budget Office).

For this reason, I have posted a summary of the approved state appropriations on my website: the FY 2009 – 2010 budget, the Governor's 2010 – 2011 proposal, and the final list of FY 2010 – 2011 line items.

Over the coming weeks, I invite you review this information (department by department, program by program, line by line) and send me your thoughts on possible ways to cut or otherwise reduce state government spending. I look forward to hearing from you!

Senate Government Management & Cost Study Commission
Speaking of cutting state government costs, the Senate Government Management & Cost Study Commission authorized by Senate Resolution 161 recently issued its final report, which can be viewed on either my website or by visiting: http://www.senatorargall.com/commission/commission-final-report.pdf

Transportation Funding
As the Governor continues to call for action (but no specifics) on ways to address Pennsylvania's many infrastructure problems, the Senate Transportation Committee has scheduled a series of hearing on this important issue:

10:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 21, Hearing Room No. 1, North Office Building: transportation funding
10:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 28, Hearing Room No. 1, North Office Building: turnpike finance/reconstruction
10:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 4, Hearing Room No. 1, North Office Building: transportation funding/SEPTA
1:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 17, Hearing Room No. 1, North Office Building: local radar
9:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 18 (TBD): rail/ports

For more information on these issues or other legislative and state topics, or if you are unable to open the bill links, visit the Pennsylvania General Assembly website at www.legis.state.pa.us.

Please feel free to contact me at any time on state-related issues that are of concern to you. I may be reached through e-mail at mfolmer@pasen.gov, my website, or any one of my offices listed below.

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