-
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL
TUESDAY, MARCH 7,1995
SESSION OF 1995 179TH OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Ilouse convened at 11 :05 a.m.,
e.s.t.
THE SPEAKER (MATTHEW J. RYAN) PRESIDING
PRAYER
The SPEAKER. Without objection, the prayer from today's special
session will be printed in today's regular session Journal.
REV. DR. EMLYN F I . JONES, pastor of Stoverdale United
Methodist Church, Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, offered the following
prayer:
God of grace and God of gloly, we carefully approach Thee asking
that You will hear o w petition.
We, people, that are Yow world, and yet sometimes we miss You.
Grant us sensitivity to recognize Your interest and Your leadership
in the affairs of State.
Help us to recognize how truly dependent we are upon Yow dance
and Your encouragement to treat others as we would want to he
treated and to govern o w community of citizens with noble intent
and to insist that the impediments to thepwsutt ofhappiness be
vanquished from our Commonwealth.
Help us, 0 God, to dream dreams, and prepare us to offer
sipficant contributions to o w society. Enable us to help create a
world that will enhance and benefit o w children and ow children's
children.
Bless, we ask, the leadership of this grand House and all its
members. We petition also for Thy blessings upon o w Governor, that
he may lead o w people with an unshakable trust in God.
0 God of enduring mercy, hear ow prayer. Amen.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE DISPENSED WITH
The SPEAKER. Without objection, the Pledge of Allegiance will be
dispensed with.
JOURNAL APPROVAL POSTPONED
'The SPEAKER. Without objection, the approval of the Journal of
Monday, March 6, 1995, will be postponed untll printed. The Chair
heus no ohjcction.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY No. 22
LEAVES OF ABSENCE
The SPEAKER. The leaves of absence granted in today's special
session will also be granted in the regular session.
MASTER ROLL CALL
The SPEAKER. The master roll call taken in today's special
session will also be the master roll call in the regular session.
The Chair hears no
HOUSE BILLS INTRODUCED AND REFERRED
No. 1030 By Representatives GANNON, DEMPSEY, HENNESSEY, MELIO,
TRELLO and BELFANTI
An Ad mending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, further providing for customary charges for
treatment.
Referred to Committee on TRANSPORTATION, March 7, 1995.
No. 1047 BY Representatives COWELL, TRELLO, GAMBLE, ITKIN and
G~GLIOTTI
An Actamending the act of June 18, 1982 (P.L.547,No.158),
referred to as the Clerk of Courts Fee Law, providing for
establishment of fees by the clerk of courts; and authorizing an
additional fee.
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY, March 7,1995.
No. 1048 By Representatives DEMPSEY, PETRONE, HERSHEY, E. Z.
TAYLOR, FLEAGLE, BATTISTO, WAUGH, WOGAN, FARGO, FEESE, GAMBLE,
STERN, LEH, SAYLOR, MERRY and HESS
An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of
the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for
garnishment.
Referred to on JUDICIARY, March 7, 1995,
No. 1049 By Representatives GEORGE, MIHALICH, PESCI, BELARDI,
CAPPABIANCA, MELIO, OLASZ and TRELLO
An A C ~ providing for wetlands conservation and management;
further providing for eminent domain; providing for penalties and
remedies; establishing the Wetlands Conservation Fund; conferring
powers and duties upon the Department of Environmental Resources;
and making an appropriation.
-
642 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE MARCH 7 Referred to Committee on
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
AND ENERGY, March 7, 1995
No. 1050 By Representatives GEORGE, LEVDANSKY, TRELLO, BELARDI,
BELFANTI, BOSCOLA, WOZNIAK, LAUGHLIN, READSHAW, YOUNGBLOOD,
HALUSKA, COLAIiZO, BATTISTO, KELLER, STABACK, CAPPABIANCA, CLYMER,
WAUGH, COY and STURLA
~- CLYMER, COl.AFELI,A, GAMBLE, TRUE, EGOLF and ZIMMERMAN
An Act amending Title 68 (Real and Personal Properly) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, adding provisions relating to
the operation and suspension of adult oriented establishments; and
imposing penalties.
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY, March 7, 1995
An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the
Pennsylvania Refmed to Committee on ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
Consolidated Statutes, further providing for selling or furnishing
liquor or
AND ENERGY. March 7. 1995. malt or brewed beverages to minors
and for the definitions of "liauoi'and
An Act establishing standards and requirements for voluntary
response actions at certain contaminated sites; providing for
public participation in voluntary response action, for the
development of cleanup standards, for methodologies for response
actions and for deed restrictions concerning certain sites;
creating a fund; and providing for powers and duties of the
Deparlment of Environmental Resources and the Environmental Quality
Board.
N a 1054 @'Representatives E. Z. TAYLOR, FARGO, OLASZ, CLYMER,
GANNON, MILLER, COY, STABACK, TRELLO, GEIST, IENNESSEY, RAYMOND,
NICKOL, SATHER, COLAFELLA, MELIO, RUBLEY, MARSICO, ALLEN,
YOUNGBLOOD and BARD 1
CIVERA, ROONEY, TRELLO, MANDERINO, MICHLOVIC, BATTISTO, BROWNE,
GEORGE, BIJNT, WILLIAMS, KUKOVICH, GORDNER, BELARDI, MARKOSEK,
KENNEY, YOUNGBLOOD, SCIWLER, SHANER, COY, COLAIZZO, SANTONI,
ROBERTS, SERAFINI, MMALICH, HANNA, MELIO, YEWCIC, McCALL, SURRA,
SATIER, LEDERER, HERMAN, CORRIGAN, MUNDY, FAJT. L. I. COHEN.
No. 1051 By Representatives COLAFELLA, MlCOZZIE, DeLUCA,
PISTELLA, WOZNIAK, HALUSKA, WALKO,
HENNESSEY, E Z TAYLOR, STABACK, VAN HORNE, TRICH, TIGUE,
READSHAW, LAUGHLIN, BAKER and O'BRIEN
- "malt or brewed beverages."
Ref& to Committee on LIQUOR CONTROL, March 7, 1995. at
An Actamending the act ofAugust 14,1991 p.L.342, No.36), known
as the Lottery Fund Preservation Act, further defining "maximum
annual incame."
Referred to Committee on AGING AND YOUTH, March 7, 1995.
No. 1052 By Representatives CLYMER, FICHTER, CONTI, GEIST,
TIGUE, HENNESSEY, DiGIROLAMO, CLARK, PITTS, READSHAW, BARD,
STABACK, LYNCH, YOUNGBLOOD, SATHER, TRELLO, LAUGHLIN, E. Z. TAYLOR,
MERRY, OLASZ, CIVERA, MICHLOVIC, GANNON, BATTISTO, PISTELLA,
BELFANTI, LEDERER and STEU
An Act regulating the purchase and sale of visual works of art
produced in muliipleq and providing for the disclosure to
prospective art purchasers of information relating to works of art,
for warranties, remedies and enforcement and for certain civil and
criminal penalties.
Referred to Committee on CONSUMER AFFAIRS, March 7, 1995.
No. 1053 By Representatives BAKER, ARMSTRONG, LEH, PITTS,
BIRMELIN, FICHTER, LYNCH, SCHULER, RUBLEY, CLARK, TRELLO, DeLUCA,
HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, STERN, HESS, E. Z. TAYLOR, FLEAGLE, WAUGH,
DURHAM, DiGIROLAMO, LAUGIILIN, PHILLIPS, BARLEY, LUCYK,
No. 1055 By Representatives BISHOP, ARMSTRONG, GIGLIOTTI, TIGUE,
MANDERINO, LUCYK, BUNT, DeLUCA, YOUNGBLOOD, STABACK, BELFANTI,
ROONEY, McGEEIWN, ITKIN, RUBLEY, J. TAYLOR, ROBINSON, E. Z. TAYLOR,
LEDERER, ROEBUCK, JOSEPHS, LAUGHLIN, BATTISTO, MICHLOVIC and
THOMAS
An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for when a
child has resided with grandparents.
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY, March 7, 1995.
Na 1056 ]I\ Krprcxntat~ves LIISI IOP till I CIIINSON, '1 IGll:,
STABACK HI
-
1995 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE 643 No. 1058 By Representatives
L. I. COHEN, MASLAND, BUNT,
DENT, VANCE, MANIIERINO, D. W. SNYDER, MUNDY, FEESE, PLATTS,
S'rABACK, DEMPSEY, HENNESSEY, TRUE, BELFANTI, S. H. SMITH, CLYMIZR,
CORNELI., I'KELLO, MILLER, PETTIT, RURIEY, E. Z. TAYI.OR, FARGO,
BARD, BAKER, STERN, YOIJNGBLOOD, MICIILOVIC and BROWNE
A Joint Kesalution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, further providing for rights of
accused in criminal prosecutions.
Referred to Comm~ttec on JUDICIARY, March 7, 1995.
No. 1059 By Representatives COY, LESCOVITZ, GEORGE, BERKO-JONES,
MARKOSEK, CURRY, BELARDI, VAN IIORNE, HINT, COLAlZ1.0, S
COLAFELLA,
COMMUNlCATION FROM GOVERNOR
REQUEST FOR JOINT SESSION
The Speaker laid before the House the following communication in
writing from the oflice of His Excellency, the Governor of the
Commonwealth:
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
Ilarrisburg
To the Honorable, the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:
'IwR' COIEN' TREI'Lo' BrURLA'LAUGHL1N2 SURKA2 If it meets with
the approval of the General Assembly, I would like to CN"rAGIROm,
McCALL, HAI'USKA, BATTIS'rO, IERMAN, address the Members in Joint
Session on Tuesday, March 7 , 1995, at a time KIJKOVICH, E. %.
TAYLOR, FAJT, COWELL, BELFANTI, convenient +o the Oeneral ~ a s e m
h ~ v ...~ -....... .. .... . ROONEY, CAI'PABIANCA, YOUNGBLOOD,
LaGROTTA. I SAINA'I 0 and CORNf\I.L. I
An Act amending Title 24 mucation) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, further providing far credited school
service and for termination of annuities.
Thomas J. Ridge Governor
RESOLUTION Rcferred to Committee on EIIUCATION, March 7,1995. I
COMMITTEE TO ESCORT SENATE
No. 1060 By Representatives COY, LESCOVITZ, GEORGE, REBKO-JONES,
MARKOSEK, CURRY, BELARDI, VAN HORNE, BUNT, COLAIZZO, HESS,
COLAFELLA, SIIANEK, M COHEN, TRELLO, s m n LAUGHLIN, SURRA,
CALTAGIRONE, McCALL, HALUSKA, BATTISTO, HERMAN, KUKOVICH, E. Z.
TAYLOR, FAJT, COWELI., BELFANTI, ROONEY, CAPPABIANCA, YOUNGBLOOD,
LaGROTTA, SAINATO and CORNEI.1.
An Act amending Tltle 71 (State Government) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, adding provisions relating to credited
service as a retirement incentive, and further providing for
accrued liability
Referred to Committee on STATE GOVERNMENT, March 7, 1995.
BILLS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE, CONSIDERED FIRST TIME, AND
TABLED
HB 248, PN 230 By Rep. B. SMITH ( An Act providing for
theadoption of a capital project to be financed from
current revenues of the Game Fund.
GAME AND FISHERIES.
HB 703, PN 775 By Rep. B. SMITH
An Act providing for the adoption of capital projects to be
financed from current revenues of the Game Fund.
Mr. PERZEL offered the following resolution, which was read,
considered, and adopted:
In the House of Representatives March 7 ,1995
RESOLVED, That the Speaker appoint a committee of three to
escort the members and officers of the Senate to the Hall of the
House for the purpose of attending a Joint Session of the General
Assembly.
COMMITTEE APPOINTED
The SPEAKER. The Chair appoints as a committee to w i t upon the
Senate, the gentleman from Lancaster, Mr. Schuler; the gentleman
from Blair, Mr. Stem; the gentleman from Fayette, Mr. Shaner.
The committee will proceed with the performance of its
duties.
COMMITTEE TO ESCORT GOVERNOR APPOINTED
The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the concurrent resolution previously
adopted by the Iiause, the Chair appoints as a committee to escort
the Governor to the hall of the House, the gentleman from Chester,
Mr. Pitts; the lady from Allegheny, Mrs. Farmer; the gentleman from
Delaware, Mr. Kirkland.
The committee will proceed with the performance of its
duties.
GAME AND FISHERIES. I
-
644 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE MARCH 7 SENATE MESSAGE
ADJOURNMENT RESOLUTION FOR CONCURRENCE
The clerk of the Senate, being introduced, presented the
following extract from the Journal of the Senate, which was read as
follows:
In the Senate March 6 , 1995
RESOLVED, (the House of Representatives concurring), That when
the Regular Session of the Senate adjourns this week it reconvene
on Monday, March 13,1995, unless sooner recalled by the President
Pro Tempore of the Senate, and be it further
RESOLVED, That when the Regular Session of the House of .
Kcprcsentat~tcs adjourns this ucck I t rcconvcnc on Monday. March
13, 1995, unless m o recalled b h c Spcakcr of ihr tlouvc
olRcprcxntat\\cu
Ordered, That the clerk present the same to the House of
Representatives for its concurrence.
On the question, Will the House concur in the resolution of the
Senate? Resolution was concurred in. Ordered, That the clerk inform
the Senate accordingly.
FILMING PERMISSION
The SPEAKER. The Chair advises the members that permission has
been granted to Michael Worley of Commonwealth Media to have access
to the designated areas of the hall of the House for the purpose of
taking still photography during the period of the budget
address.
Pamission has k e n panted to the gentleman, Mr. Vathis, for the
purpose of taking still photography as well as to the photographers
for both the Democrat and Republican Caucuses.
BILL REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE, CONSIDERED FIRST TIME, AND
TABLED
HB 844, PN 932 By Rep. BUNT
An Act providing for Pennsylvania Turnpike farmers' markets, and
conferring powers and duties on the Department of Agriculture and
the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
AGRlCULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ESCORTING SENATE
The SPEAKER. The Senate is now entering the hall of the House.
Memhers and guests will please rise.
The Chair recognizes the Sergeant at h s of the House. The
SERGEANT AT ARMS. Mr. Speaker, the chairman of the
committee on the part of the House, Mr. Schuler. Mr. SClNLER.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee appointed to
wait upon the Senate
and to escort the members to the floor of the House has
completed
-
their duty. The Senate is now in the House of Representatives.
Thank you.
The SPEAKER. The committee is discharged with the thanks of the
House.
The Chair requests the Lieutenant Governor, the Honorable Mark
w
Schweker, to preside over the proceedings of the joint session
of the General Assembly.
The President Pro Tem of the Senate, the Honorable Robert C.
Jubelirer, is invited to be seated on the rostrum.
The members of the House and Senate will please he seated.
JOINT SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1
I THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (MARK S. SCHWEIKER) PRESIDING The
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. This being the day and the
time agreed upon by a concurrent resolution of the Senate and t
IIouse of Representatives to hear an address by His Excellency, the
Governor, the Honorable Thomas J. Ridge, this joint session will
please come to order.
The General Assembly will be at ease while it awaits the arrival
of His Excellency, the Governor of the Commonwealth.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ESCORTING GOVERNOR
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. The Governor is entering the hall of
the House. Please rise.
The Chair r e c o r n s the chairman of the committee to escort
the Governor, the Senator from Montgomery, Senator Tilghman.
Mr. TILGHMAN. Mr. President, as chairman of the committee to
escort the Governor, I wish to report that His Excellency, the
Governor, is present and is prepared to address this joint
session.
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. Memhers of the General Assembly, I have
the honor and the privilege of presenting K s Excellency, the
Governor, the Honorable Thomas J. Ridge, who ; will now address
this joint session.
FISCAL YEAR 1995-96 BUDGET ADDRESS OF
GOV. THOMAS J. RIDGE
The GOVERNOR. Thank you, Lieutenant Governor, Mr. Speaker,
President Pro Tempore, ladies and gentlemen of the General
Assembly.
My fellow Pennsylvanians: When I asked you to elect me Governor,
I promised we would do
things differently. With this budget, I put that promise to
paper. Ths budget marks a new way of thinking about the
relationship
between our government, our wmmunity, and ourselves. This budget
is responsible, disciplined, and balanced.
Budget discipline was something my parents understood very 1
well. They made choices every day of their lives. I still remember
my dad sitlmg at the latchen table figunng out the best way to
provide for his family.
-
LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE Each check he wrote represented a
choice, a priority. And instead
of family vacations to distant places, it was a wcek enjoying
Presque Isle or a visit to grandparents in Pittsburgh. Instead of a
new car, it was a quality education for my brother, my sister, and
me. Like thousands oCPennsylvania's families, my parents set
priorities, they made tough choices, and they lived within their
means. Government must do the same.
This budget is meant to trigger a long-overdue public debate
about the functions of State government. I define the basic
responsibilities as these: economic competitiveness, education,
helping those who cannot help themselves, and public safety. That
is where I put my priorities
Everyone in this chambcr recognizes that State government cannot
be all things to all people. We must choose; we must decide.
Budget discipline crcates opportunity. This budget is about both
- discipline and opportunity.
Discipline. Spending grows by only 2.3 percent. The result is
opportunity - opportunity to cut job-crushing taxes
by more than $200 million, job-crushing taxes on Pennsylvania's
workers and employers. And we eliminate the oppressive widow's tax,
2 years ahead of schedule.
Discipline. This budget starts with the first rule of family
budgeting - do not spend money you do not have. This budget is
hased upon the most conservative revenue forecasts.
I have proposed to increase - by 50 percent - the rate at which
State govemment puts aside money in the State's savings account,
the Kalny Day Fund. Just as a family tucks away money for car
repairs or home improvements, I propose we set aside nearly $60
m~llion - $20 million more than thc law requires. Because of such
discipline, Pennsylvania will cushion the impact of any economic
downturn or looming Federal cuts.
Discipline. ?lus budget rejects the bdtional notion that
spending and programs must automatically grow. Flftcen agencies
have smaller budgets; four others get no increase at all. By
exercising such discipline, we can continue the tax-forgiveness
programs for Pennsylvania's working poor.
Discipline. This budget eliminates 19 programs, saving taxpayers
$44 million. And as you well know, it is never easy to eliminate
programs. In fact, it is dam tough. Each has a constituency. But it
must be done.
Disciplme. I learned it kom my father. He taught me by example.
Government leaders must set an example as well.
This budget cuts the Governor's Ofice by 10 percent, as I
pledged last year. Lt. Gov Mark Schweiker has taken the same cut.
And I am asking the State's other elected executives - Attorney h e
r d Preate, Auditor General Hafer, and Treasurer Knoll - to do
their share, not by taklng a 10-percent reduction, but simply by
operating at last year's level. And 1 also ask that the legislature
demonstrate their discipline and their leadership by eliminating
WAM's, the "walking around money." It says here, response might be
mixed.
Fiscal discipline IS critical to provide greater opportunity for
Pennsylvania. E v q day, every day we are challenged by the
fiercest economic competition the world has ever seen, and every
day we must lwk for ways to prescrve thejohs we have and create new
ones.
Pennsylvania cannot spend its way to prosperity. We cannot a o r
d it, and more importantly, it sunply will not work. To compete,
and to win, Pennsylvania needs a tax and regulatory climate that is
pro-worker, pro-employer, and pro-growth.
Under this proposal, we take Pennsylvania's corporate net income
tax under 10 percent, 2 years ahead of schedule. We cannot atford
to wait. Thisrcduction will help level the playing field with our
neighboring States - New York, New Jersey, and Ohio.
But there is more to being competitive than lowering the
corporate rate. New small businesses deserve the chance to survive.
MOST States reflect that in their tax codes, but not Pennsylvania.
Right now we have the most reslrictive loss cany-forward provision
in the counhy. That is about to change.
This tax incentive encourages new businesses to work through
those m c u l t startup years. And by increasing the deduction, the
cap, to $1 million, 99 percent of our employers, practically all
small businesses and their workers, will be given that extra boost,
that extra incentive to stay in business.
We will work to bring new jobs to Pennsylvania, hut we also have
a contmuing responsibility to keep the jobs we have. And toward
that end, Uus budget recommends something called
"double-weighting." It is a factor in calculating the corporate net
income tax rate.
The concept is simple and relevant. Let us reward companies that
put and keep their jobs in Pennsylvania. Virtually all our
competitor States have it. Now Pennsylvania will have it as
well.
Taxcs are not the only government impediment to job creation.
So, too, is the web of government regulations.
Some of you may have heard me mention that I consider the old
Department of Environmental Resources to be an obstacle to
Pennsylvania's economic growth. This administration has set about
creating a new environmental partnership in Pennsylvania. My budget
starts by splitting DER in two. One agency will protect our parks
and forests, and the second will help Pennsylvanians understand
environmental regulations and help them comply.
Pennsylvania's job creators -not State government - must be
empowered to expand. We have reduected our economic development
efforts to make them more effective. We have consolidated 22
programs into 6 -favoring a more flexible, efficient, and
comprehensive approach.
Capitalizing on the programs that work, t h ~ s budget bolstks
the Ben Franklin Partnership and industrial resource centers with
nearly $3 million in additional funds to nwture the development of
our high-tech companies.
Public dollars supporting local tourism yield a high rate of
return. Support of o w tourism industry is increased as well.
Targeting promising industries in Pennsylvania's world-class
agricultural products, we will tap the opportunities of the global
market with an aggressive export campaign. 1 will make sure of it.
An export team will work out of the Governor's Office. And we will
invest, and 1 ask you to invest, in three additional international
trade offices worldwide. Our farms and our factories will help us
create more jobs when we make exports a higher priority.
We will M e r link Pennsylvania to the world market with a
first-class transportation plan that unites our roads and rails,
our harbors and our auports. We have increased fundiig for
repairing our State highways and bridgcs by almost $45 million. For
the first time, maintenance spending - taking better care of our
roads and bridges - will exceed $800 million.
Finally, competitiveness is not just about employers. It is also
about numvlng our workers with the education and job t r a i ~ n g
they need. This budget increases customized job-training programs
by more than $2 million.
At this point, it is important to remember one basic,
irrefutable fact. There is absolutely nothing, nothing, a parent or
government
-
646 LEGISLATIVE J< program can do to provide a decent job for
someone who lacks a good education. The future offers neither hope
nor opportunity for the uneducated.
As parents, Michele and I work every day to nurture the desire
to learn in our two children, Lesley and Tom. That is our job as
parents.
And as Governor, my job is to make certain that the opportunity
of a good education is available to all of our children.
By far, education is the Commonwealth's single largest
investment. From kindergarten to college, nearly 45 percent of the
budget is dedicated to malang education a Pennsylvania priority.
But for too long, it has been a priority in decline. So this budget
reverses a 7-year trend. For the first time since 1988, education's
share of the budget goes up.
This budget provides an additional $124 million to support the
basic education funding subsidy. Our funding formula will
incorporate the equity provisions enacted by the legislature over
the last several years. But unlike those years, we will also base
State aid on enrollment. Every school district in Pennsylvania will
receive at least a modest increase.
But money alone will not guarantee quality or improvement. We
must do things differently, because in the end, education is
not about money or teachers, school boards or budgets. Education
is about our children, their opportunity, and Pennsylvania's
future.
I believe parents - not govemment - know what is best for their
children. I want families to decide for themselves where their
children should attend school.
Let me ask, why is it that students begin year 13 of their
education by using govemment funding to attend the school of their
choice, yet we routinely deny the same choice from kindergarten
through 12? The needs of one 7-year-old are different from the
next, and who better to respond to those needs than their parents
?
This budget empowers parents with the opportunity of school
choice.
It provides nearly $40 million for educational oppottunity
grants. It is the first installment of a plan that begins with poor
and working-class families. We will start by reaching into 167 of
Pennsylvania's poorest school districts and offering choice to the
kids who need it most. In years 2 and 3, school choice will become
a reality statewide.
This budget also encourages the development of charter public
schools - a new kind of school - that provides even more choice
within the public school system. It is an exciting concept. Think
of it. Parents, teachers, and communities - together - designing
their own schools. Hanisburg mandates will not he an obstacle to
local efforts to enrich their children's education.
Our phlosophy toward fundmg lngher education will also change
significantly. For years, State government has funded State
universities line item by line item and dictated each individual
filnding prinity. Who in tiamisburg should make spending decisions
for these institutions? In my mind, no one. Let the schools
decide.
In !hs budget, higher education is given more flexibility with a
student-based 3-percent increase.
Half the increase will be used to create tuition challenge
grants; the other half to boost college education grants to empower
an additional 10,000 students.
We increase funding to support community colleges and to enhance
access to public libraries and museums.
Now, there is no @eater pressure point on Pennsylvania's budget
than the ever-increasing cost of welfare. Over the last 10 years,
State welfare costs have nearly doubled.
IRNAL - HOUSE MARCI-1 7 We must control these costs. And we will
do so with compassion
and with common sense. We will help those who seek to help
themselves. We will care for those who cannot.
This budget continues to provide cash benefits to those who
cannot work. But it eliminates the $360 in cash that young, single,
W able-bodied adults with no dependent children receive every 2
years. We will continue their health-care coverage. We will
continue to make job training available. We will not continue to
hand out cash to those who are able to work.
The greatest challenge we face is controlling health-care costs.
The cost of health care for the poor has increased 177 percent
overthe last 10 years. It now consumes I6 cents of every tax
dollar. To control costs, we will insist that those on medical
assistance
go to a doctor or clinic - not an expensive emergency room. We
will move drug and alcohol rehabilitation out of $600-a-day
w hospitals and into less expensive community settings.
We wdl crack down on prescription-drug abuse and see to it that
Pennsylvania, the State of Pennsylvania, pays the same competitive
prices for pharmaceuticals as insurance companies, private
businesses, and lUvlO's (health maintenance organizations).
As a forerunner to a more comprehensive welfare reform, this
budget seeks to move people from the welfare rolls onto a payroll.
We will provide day care for 4,500 additional children, enabling ,
thousands of welfare parents to work.
Another great challenge is caing for our parents, our seniors,
and in this budget, we take an important first step.
We help more of our older citizens receive quality care in their
own homes. We expand the Family Caregiver Program as another
alternative to nursing homes.
The most basic function of govemment is to insure the safety of
our c i h . Crime touches each one of us. The fear of crime haunts
us all.
Ifwe live in fear, we cannot leam. If we work in fear, we cannot
m p e t e . We cannot and will not surrender our streets, our
schools, our communities to fear.
Just 6 weeks ago I called the General Assembly into a special
session to combat crime. Your progress has been steady and
sure.
This budget underscores my commitment to protecting
Pennsylvania's communities from crime with a $132-million increase.
4
We will he tough on crime, but we will also he wise in our use
of public resources to combat it.
To keep predators off our streets, we will build more prisons. I
propose $92 million in the capital budget for four additional
facilities. One will house adults, the second will house juveniles
convicted as adults, and the other two I propose are new
maximum-security youth prisons for violent juvenile offenders.
r'
But there is more to fighting crime. This budget empowers school
districts to create safe schools. It
provides funding for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. And for
the victims of crime - for whom we have dedicated the special
session -we will provide a&tional funding for legal services,
we will speed up victim restitution, and we will guarantee our
victims a State advocate to insure they are informed of their
rights.
Th~s is my budget. And with it, we will earn Pennsylvania's
trust. With it, I have begun to deliver on the promises that w
Pennsylvanians elected me to pursue: set priorities; make
choices. Discipline does lead to opportunity. Control spending; cut
taxes; create jobs.
-
1995 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE 647 Two basic principles guided
my hudget deliberations. They
should guide yours as well. First, first, this budget is about
people, not percentages and
numbers. And second, e v q dollar, every dime we spend, really
belongs to
the decent, honest, hardworking Pennsylvanians, and as their
stewards, we are obligated to treat their money as our own.
Members of the Gencral Assembly, it is up to us. I ask that we
work together, Republicans and Democrats, and do our jobs.
We have 116 days. Ycs, I am counting, and Pennsylvanians are
counting on you.
Let us get to work. Thank you veq much.
JOlNT SESSION ADJOURNED I The LIEIJ'l'ENANT GOVERNOK. The Chair
asks that the
members of the House and vis~tors remain seated for just a
moment while the members of the Senate leave the hall ofthe
House.
The business for which the joint session has been assembled
having been transacted, this session is now adjourned.
THE SPEAKER (MATTHEW J. RYAN) PRESIDING I
The SPEAKEK. The FIousc will be in order. I MOTION TO PRlNT
PROCEEDINGS
OF JOINT SESSION
'The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the majority leader. Mr.
PERZIiI,. Mr. Speaker, I move that the proceedings of the
joint scssion of the Senate and the 1 louse of Representatives
held this 7th day of March 1995 be printed in full in this day's
Legislative journal^
On the question, Will the House agree to the motion? Motion was
agrecd to.
The SPkAKER Ihc Cha~r 1s unable to determme because of the
l~ghts the ~dent~tres and nature of the var~ous conferences golng
on In back of the rall 1 wonder if the Sergeant at Arms would be
kind enough to break up those codcrcnces
COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING I
The SPEAKER. The Chair recogmrcs the gentleman, Mr. Hasay, for
the purpose of maklng an announcement.
Mr. HASAY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Spcaker, I u,ould like to
announce thcre will be a meeting of
the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee in room 40
of the East Wing immediately at the end of this recess, and I urge
all those to attend. 'l'here are two important bills that have to
be voted upon. Thank you, Mr. Spcaker.
The SPEAKEK. The gentleman announces the convening of a meeting
on the dcclaration of the luncheon recess in room 40 in the East
Wing. I thank the gentleman.
STATEMENT BY MAJORITY LEADER
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the majority leader, Mr.
Pelzel.
Mr. PERZEL. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an
important day in our work together as
members of this House of Representatives. Through his budget
address, his first as Governor of the
Commonwealth ofPennsylvania, Tom Ridge has given us the details
ofhis agenda for the next fiscal year and beyond. Like you, I
listened carelidly to the Govnnor'smessage. It is a good proposal
and a solid beginning.
I congratulate Governor Ridge for his practical, sensible vision
on how State government can best serve the people of this
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In many respects, the Governor's
budget reflects our agenda and the bipartisan accomplishments we
have already achieved duing our first 2 months and our plans for
the rest of this legislative session.
Governor Ridge's speech is the starting point of what will be a
process of listening and discussing over the next several weeks and
months. For the first time, memhers of this House will be given an
opportunity to appear before the Appropriations Committee to offer
their suggestions and raise concerns from their legslative
districts. After hearing from our memhers, the committee will
question the Governor's Cabinet on how the budget plan will affect
their departments and how it will affect the families and
communities Uuoughout this State. To insure that all Pennsylvanians
are heard, we hope to hold hcarings on the budget at several
locations across this State, seelung input fiom everyone who has a
suggestion or a concern to share with us.
%s hudget reflects the broad plulosophy that government's role
is to provide Pennsylvanians with opportunity to he evetything that
they can be. This budget reflects our fundamental belief that
government exists for one reason: to serve the people. We will
demonstrate that we arc the servants of those people who put us
here and their interests must bc our interests.
Governor Ridge has sent a strong signal to all Pennsylvanians
that things are indeed changing. Look at our agenda, "Taking Charge
for Change." One of ow Democrat colleagues said in a letter to a
Senator that why do they not work in the Senate in a bipartisan
manner, the way we have been doing it here in the House? If you
take a look at ow "Taking Charge for Change," which each of you was
supplied a copy of, lune of our major items that the Governor spoke
of in his budget message are in that "Taking Charge for
Change."
What started out as a Republican initiative has become a major
bipartisan blueprint for success. Every hill we are passing has
1)emocrat and Republican support. Our special session on crime has
been enormously successful and overwhelmingly bipartisan,
Repuhhcans and-~emocrats are working together;; make this a better
State in which to live, work, and play. We are governing by working
together for positive change in Pennsylvania.
This is a new day, Mr. Speaker. The progess we have made in our
first 63 days of this session is a stepping-stone toward adoption
of a forward-looking, visionruy State budget.
The budget limits the growth of State govenunent to less than
the projected rate of intlation.
Cutting taxes - business and the onerous widow's tax - is the
strongest message we can send to Pennsylvanians that things are
changing.
-
648 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE MARCH 7 Businesses create jobs.
Let us keep our young people here in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Good jobs with a promise for a
future - this budget will do that.
Eliminating many unnecessary agencies and putting the clamps on
the outmoded, job-limiting attitudes of the Department of
Environmental Resources and the Department of Rsvenue send a strong
message that things are changing, Mr. Speaker.
Reforming the welfare system - real, meaningful reform to take
away opportunities for abuse and to move people from dependence to
independence to dignity - sends another strong message that things
are c h q g , Mr. Speaker, and this was the start of all that. A
lot of you remember seeing th~s .
Just discussing major innovations in education shows us that
things are changing.
Do we each support the ideas that the Governor has offered here
today? Absolutely not. But it is refreshing to have a Governor who
is not ataid to ask tough questions and to face a healthy debate on
the issues.
Our Speaker has to be pleased with this budget. It is ~ c e to
know that the Governor has a speech writer, unlike his predecessor,
who knows the words "agriculture" and "tourism." It is another sign
that things are indeed changing, Mr. Speaker.
All ladding aside, we are looking fonvard to working closely
with Governor Ridge, with our colleagues here in the House of
Representatives, and with our colleagues in the Senate to craft a
budget that will serve every Pennsylvanian in the best possible
way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the gentleman.
STATEMENT BY MINORITY LEADER
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the gentleman, Mr.
DeWeese.
Mr. DeWEESE. I used to wonder, Mr. Speaker, &er the solid
and in many ways admirable Chief Executive who preceded Governor
Ridge to the Executive Mansion had made his remarks, since I had a
bepdging admiration and a strong admiration at times for Governor
Casey, it was always difficult for me to fathom how the gentleman,
Mr. Ryan, at that time the Republican floor leader, would take the
miaophone and commence a very aggressive laceration and
oveniew.
I do not know that I have come to any firm conclusion that that
motivation was ill-conceived or wrongheaded, but I do know that we
are a part of a great debate for the next 100 days as we try to
discern how much of our State spending should be prioritized in
certain aspects of the budget and others in other facets of the
document. A budget is inherently a list of priorities, and Governor
Ridge has nobly craffed his list.
I want to do what I believe some of my predecessors have done
when they led the minority debate on the floor, and that is to give
an encomium to the Governor for several things that he has shared
with us today.
Number one, roads. L travel 400 miles a week to and from this
building, and I have a gargantuan district of 750 square miles.
Next to Bill Lloyd, it is the largest in the southwestern part of
the State. There is no doubt that $800 million, the first time that
a budget has ever exceeded $800 million in maintenance funding, is
an appropriate assignment of funding. So I want to, again,
congratulate the Governor for focusing on road maintenance.
I would also like to thank the Govemor for his focus on legal
services - equal justice for all. I think that he could probably
have crafted a document which would have been more generous by a
million or two, since he did have to take the legal services line
item down somewhat, but nevertheless, nevertheless, in this
special-session-on-crime season, it is appropriate that Governor
Ridge have some money for those amongst us who are poor and who
need legal services.
Another thing, since many of you know I am inclined to be
peripatetic, I have seen a good bit of the world at my own expense,
and I am convinced that Governor Ridge is correct when he says that
we must invest in export?; we must make certain that Pennsylvania's
economy is the beneficialy of aggressive worldwide trade. So I
commend him and I support him as he develops world trade offices J
for our Commonwealth in several varied and sundry settings
somewhere over the horizon.
Roads, legal services, world trade. I would also finally, not to
say before I begin my laceration but
one last point I would like to share, I believe that he probably
took a page out of Al Gore's book - I hope that is not repugnant to
my . brothers and sisters on the other side of the aisle - but by
spending money at our State university systems in a novel way, by
allowing the presidents and the administrators of California
University of , Pennsylvania or Bloomsburg or Mr. Coy's alma mater,
Shippensburg, el a]., by allowing entrepreneurial spirits from
academe to be involved in this budget season in this manner, is
worthy of o w approbation.
I am not, Mr. Speaker, going to lament, and I am not going to be
overly critical. I am going to bring up a few points that I think
are worthy of our view, as Mr. Perzel, Mr. Pitts, et al., lead the
majority party's investigations of our budget priorities and as Mr.
Evans and our leadership team and our committee chairpersons and
our rank and file hopefully get involved to the degree that Mr. P e
m l has alluded.
I would also like to say that notwithstanding the grandiose
comments of the gentleman from Philadelphia about bipartisanship .
on final passage on a series of proposals, it would certainly help
our collective endeavors if our rank and file were more involved in
the committee process. The committee process is fundamental to the
General Assembly, and heretofore, it has been given short shrift,
so * I think it is imperative that if we are going to be really
bipartisan - and 1 hope that we shall be - that we continue in that
&tion within the committee environment. Mr. Pitts and Mr. Evans
will have a wonderful challenge during the next several weeks.
I am glad to hear that the gentleman, Mr. Perzel, has indicated
that the Committee of Appropriations will go on the road. It should
not be isolated. It should not be cloistered. It should move. There
'.I) should be some momentum and some opportunity for the General
Assembly to go out into the State.
Governor Ridge, in his comments about crime, was on target
vis-a-vis violent crime, but there was, in my view, a void when his
remarks did not include white-collar crime; when he did not talk
about the briefcase bandik, when he did not talk about the fact
that many people, white-collar business men and women, who have
cheated on theu taxes will be absolved. Again, I think it is
important to realize that not all criminals are rufhns and
ne'er-do-wells, that 4 many criminals are well-educated from our
fine universities and smooth and suave and dapper and w m p t , and
I thlnk it is imperative for the Chief Executive and our General
Assembly to focus on white-collar crime.
-
1995 LEGISLATIVE J( Quckly, on subsidies, I am perplexed that
our wealthiest school
districts will still be receiving additional funds this year. I
think that the equity f o d a that he has decided to partially
embrace should be more fully embraced. I thirk that those of us,
especially the 15,20, 25 GOP stalwarts who live in districts
similar to my own, who are devastated by high property taxes and a
confusing formula oppomnity should probably be with us as we tty to
make certain that equity in school funding is a reality.
I am going to conclude my remarks by invoking the name of one of
our more popular hail-fellows-well-met, the I-lonorable Mr.
Gigliotti, from Pittsburgh. The gentleman, Mr. Gigliotti, as we all
know, has somc proclivity, like George Washington at Trenton, for
the gambler. It is a hard metaphor; it is a hard mctaphor, but no
one can deny that Washington on Christmas Eve in 1777,l believe -
no, 1776- Help me, Mr. Ryan. No, do not; do not. 1 know you wcrc
not there, but-
The SPEAKER. Do not bet on that. Mr. DeWEESE. There is no doubt
that gambling, in the lexicon,
can mean many h g s , but Govemor k d g e has decided to gamble
on business tax cuts, on trickle-down, and that is not an unworthy
gamble. I am not certain that we on our side would have done the
same. I am convinced that some, if not many, would offer a contrary
perspective, but nevertheless, we are seeing some inclination to
gamble.
Now, I am under the impress~on, from a quick perusal of the
document, that $200 million or $2 I 4 million will be realized in
tax cuts. The honorable gentleman from Erie proclaimed a $2-billion
tax cut over 4 years. We have got $1 8 billion to go, and I hopc
that he docsnot roll in that $200 mlllion every year and call it
$800 million. I hope that he can come up with a fulfillment of that
promise - a $2-billion excisemclit of our tax structure. That is a
challenge that will comport with his campaign rhetoric.
1 would like to thank thc gentleman, Mr. Ryan, and 1 would like
to thank the gentleman, Mr. Perzel, Tor their collective endeavors
today on behalf of our budget presentation. I am under the
impression that Mr. Pitts will also have somc views to share and
that my colleague from Philadelphia, Mr. Evans, will also.
We will hopefully be engaged in a bipartisan way at the
committee level. Hopefully, Mr. Stairs and Mr. Cowell, et al., all
of the minority and minority chairmen, will be able to engage and
he a part of this document.
If the gentleman, Mr. Perrel, is able to realize h ~ s declared
ambition vis-a-vis this effofl, we will all work together, and 1
think Govemor Ridgc's budget scason will he immeasurably cnhanced
if that kind of collective endcavor is realized. Thank you.
The SPEAKER. The Chalr thanks the gentleman.
STATEMENT BY MR. EVANS
The SPEAKER. Would anyone else care to be recognized? The
gentleman from Philadelphia, Mr. Evans. Mr. EVANS. 'Thank you, Mr.
Speaker. I will keep my remarks
brief and to the point. 1 was looking forward, Mr. Speaker, to
Mr. Ridge's first budget
proposal. I saw it as an opportunity for us to work together on
some cntlcal issues facing all of us, and I commend him on a
conservative spending plan.
JRNAL - HOUSE 649 Govemor Ridge has proposed a $16.1-billion
General Fund
budget, a 2.5-percent increase over the available 1994-95
budget. In addition, he has requested a $214-million tax cut for
businesses. As expected, Mr. Speaker, the budget request includes
shifting and increased expen&tures for m d c a l assistance,
for corrections, and for education.
I look fonvard to the next few months, as we examine t h ~ s
budget line by line, Mr. Speaker. Today I will only pose a few
questions for the General Assembly to consider. Since his
inauguration, Mr. Speaker, Govemor Ridge has said he wants to make
Pennsylvania's government more eficient and more effective. This
morning he said he wants to do to Pennsylvania's budget what was
taking place in his own household, about malung choices and
priorities. Mr Speaker, that is not anything new, relating to what
we havc expresscd over the last 4 years.
Govemor Ridge has added 5124 million to public basic education,
with a guaranteed increase for each of the 501 school districts.
How effective is that use of our education dollars? What does it do
for our poorest districts except widen the gap, Mr. Speaker?
Even the much-touted choice program offers very little choice to
very few parents. Will the average Pennsylvanian even qualify to
participate in the $38.5-million program? If we are going to take
money from our public schools, is there not a more effective or
efficient way of appropriating that money?
How effective will $500,000 be in making our schools safer? How
far will $1 million go towards provimng alternative programs for
the most disruptive students in our schools? Is that efficient or
is that effective?
In recent years, Mr. Speaker, Pennsylvania has emerged as a
national leader in the field of economic development through its
successful elforts in combining public and private resources to
promote the economic well-being of its people and its businesses.
Govemor Ridge has taken a different track.
How effective is it combining or eliminating such programs as
industrial development assistance grants, local development
district grants, and small business development centers in helping
small businesses and local governments? How is the elimination of
$36 million for small community sewage plants more effective, Mr.
Speaker? How is the elimination of the Pennsylvania Economic
Development Revitalization Fund, PERF, effective, Mr. Speaker?
We need to remember that effective government is more than just
combining or eliminating line items. We must look beyond the
numbers and examine the programs themselves. Do they work? Are they
necessary ?
This is the beginning of the process. As I said before, I am
looking fonvard to the hearings and the questions and the specifics
so we can all work together to build a better Pennsylvania.
Mr. Speaker, I want to add one last point that was made by the
majority leader. I am certainly glad to hear that the
Appropriations Committee will go out on the road, because, Mr.
Speaker, we have, over the last 4 years, opened up the process. We
have taken the committee on the road. We have had joint hearings.
We have had all types of sessions that allow John and Jane Q.
Pennsylvanian to parkipate in the process. We hope, Mr. Speaker,
that that part of the process will continue, because I believe that
it is in the best interest of the people of lhe Commonwealth if
they have opportunity to participate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the gentleman.
-
650 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE MARCH 7 STATEMENT BY MR. PITTS I
AFTER RECESS
The SPEAKER. Does the gentleman, Mr. Pitts, seek I The tune
ofrecess having expired, the House was called to order,
recognition?
Mr. PITTS Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The SPEAKER. The eentleman is
recomized
CALENDAR - - Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, we have heard an
extraordinary
resenta at ion for chanee this momine. This is certainlv not the
status I BILLS ON SECOND CONSIDERATION - u quo. The Governor has
proposed an additional over $200 million in tax reductions to
stimulate job creation in Pennsylvania. This is in addition to the
$1.8 billion in cuts that we passed that go into effect during h s
watch. He has proposed to streamline State spending, to hold the
line on spending and growth in the bureaucracy. He has proposed to
eliminate bureaucracy, to consolidate agencies. This is change.
We look forward to implementation of this first Ridge budget
after its enactment. We will begin our hearings on Thursday of this
week. We have scheduled a day for all the members to have an
opportunity to appear before the Appropriations Committee. You have
each received a copy of our agenda. We will in addition be going on
the road, as has been mentioned. We look forward to working in a
bipartisan manner with our colleagues to pass a budget that is h g
a l , that is compassionate, that stimulates our economy, that is
disciplined in our spending growth, and that will he good for all
of Pennsylvania. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the gentleman.
The Chair recognizes the majority leader. Mr. PERZEL. Thank you,
Mr. Speaker. At this time I would suggest we break for lunch and
for caucus
where it is necessary, come hack on the floor at 2 p.m. and run
SB 2 in special session.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the gentleman.
Is the gentleman, Mr. Fargo, calling for a Republican caucus? Is
the ms,lority leader call'ing for a caucus? Republicans have no
caucus Democrats have no caucus.
Does the majority leader or minority leader have any M e r
business prior to the declaration of a recess?
ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR. McGEEHAN
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the gentleman, Mr.
McGeehan.
Mr. McGEEHAN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to
announce an immediate meeting of the
newly forming Irish caucus in room 3 9 E All interested members
are welcome to attend.
The SPEAKER. Mr. McGeehan, is that room large enough? Mr.
McGEEHAN. We are hoping it is not, Mr. Speaker. The SPEAKER. Mr.
McGeehan, you have my proxy. I will not
make the meeting.
RECESS
The SPEAKER. Doesthemajonty leader or minorily leader have any M
e r business?
Hearing none, this House stands in recess until 2 p.m.
The following bills, having been called up, were considered for
the second time and agreed to, and ordered transcribed for third
consideration:
I HB 825, PN 910; HB 659, PN 967; and HB 267, PN 260. 1 I BILL
ON THlRD CONSIDERATION
The House proceeded to third consideration of HB 215, PN 1041,
entitled:
An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the
Pennsylvania Consalidated Statutes, further providing for medical
histow information and for expedited procedures for support actions
and proceedings.
On the question, Will the Ilouse agree to the bill on third
consideration?
I Mr. S T U R U offered the following amendment No. A1260: Amend
Title, page 1, line 3, by ~triking out "AND and inserting a
comma Amend Title, page 1, line 4, by removing the period
after
"PROCEEDINGS and inserting and for continuing jurisdiction over
support orders.
Amend Hill, page 3, by ~nserting between lines l l and 12
Section 4. Section 4352(d) of Title 23 is amended to read:
5 4352. Continuing jurisdiction over support orders. * * * (d)
Arrears as judgments-On and seer the date it is due, each and
every support obligation shall constitute a judgment against the
obligor by operation of law, with the full force, effect and
attributes of a judgment of mu& including the ability to be
enforced, and shall be entitled as a judgment ' to full faith and
credit in this or any other state. The amount of oast due suowrt
shall bear interest from the date it accrued at the rate of 18%
simole interest oer annwn. Past due support obligations shall not
became a lien upon the real and personal property of the person
ordered to make such payments until the judgment or order has been
entered of record in the office of the clerkofthe court of common
pleas in the county where the real or personal property owned by
the person obligated to pav support is located or in the ofice of
the clerk of the branch of the court of common pleas embracing such
county in accordance with 42 Pa.C.S. 5 4303 (relating to effect of
judgments and ordersas liens). Execution shall issue thereon
pursuant to the Rules of Civil Procedure. The obligation for
payment of arrears or past due support shall terminate by operation
of law when all arrears or past due support has been paid.
* * I
I Swt~un 5 lhc 3menll111cn1 .$I 23 1'3 C S 6 .13j&J) sliilll
appl\ dnl\ ls,~udgmer~L\ hh\ npcr.m~n 01 la\\ drlrlllg on dr a11cr
t h ~ ~ l l c i l ~ \ c Jatc oithla I act Amcnd Sec 4 . phge 3,
line 12, by stnklng out "4" and insertlog 6
On the question, Will the I-louse agree to the amendment?
-
1995 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE 651 The SPEAKER. On the
question of adoption o f the amendment
offered by the gentleman, Mr. Sturla, the gentleman i s
recognized. Mr. STUR1.A. Mr. Speaker, this amendment passed the
IIouse
lass session as a bill almost unanimously, and essentially, what
it does i s puts an 18-percent interest on arrearages in c h l d
support.
I would urge a "yes" vote.
O n the question recurring, Will the House agree to the
amendment?
The following roll call was recorded:
Adolph Allen &gall h u o n g Baker Bard Barley Banisto
Behko-Jones Belardi Helfanti Rinnelin
Egolf Evans Fairchild rajt Fargo Farmer Peese Fichter Fleagle
Flick Gamble Cannon
Lucyk Lynch Maitland Majoy Manderino Markosek Manico Masland
Mayemik McCall McGeehan McGill
sather Saylor Schroder Schuler Smrnenli Semmel Setafini Shaner
Sheehan Smith, B. Smi* S. H. Snyder, D. W.
Rinhop Geist Mclio Staback Blaum George Mcny Stain Boscola
Giglioni Mi~hlovic Steelman Boycs Gladeck Misozzie Steil Brown
Godshall Mihali~.h Stem Browne Gordner hliller Stetler Bunt h i t r
a Mundv Stish BuIkovitr nunon Caltagirone Cappabian~.a Cam Carone
Cawley Chadwick Civera Clark Clymer Coho% L. I. Cohen, M. Colafella
Colaizo Codi Comell Corpora Corrigan Cowell Coy cuny Daley DeLuca
Dempsey Dent Demody DeWeese DiGirolamo Donatucci h c e Durham
CmPPo ~ai lo; Hahay Nickol Hnluska Nyce H m a O'Brien Harhart
Olasz Hasay Oliver Hemessey Penel Herman Pesci Henhcy Petrarca
lless Petrone Honey Pettit Hutchinnon Phillips ltkin Piccola
Jsdlowaec Pistella lames Pi& Jarolin Platts Josephs Preston
Kaiser Ramos Keller Raymond Kemey Readshaw King Reber Kinland
Reinard Krebs Richardson Kukovich Rieger LaGruna Roberts laughlin
Robinson Lawless Roebuck Lederer Rooney Leh Rubley I.escoritr Rudy
Levdansky Sainato Llovd Santoni
NAY S-O
NOT VOTING-0
Svittmaner Sturla Surra Tangreni Taylor, E. Z. Taylor, J. Thomm
Tigue Trcllo Trich True Tulli Vance Van Home Veon Vilali Walka
Washington Waugh Williams wogan Worniak WrighC D. R. Wright, M. N.
Yewcic Younghlwd Zimmeman zug
Ryan, Speaker
The majority having voted in the affirmative, the question was
determined in the affirmative and the amendment was agreed to.
O n the question, Will the House agree to the bill o n h r d
consideration a s
amended ?
Mr. KREBS offered the following amendment No. A1303:
Amend Title, page I , line 3, by inserting aAer "information" ,
far involuntary termination of parental rights
Amend Bill. page 2, by inserting between lines 12 and 13 Section
2. Section 251 l(a)(5) and (b) of Title 23 are amended and
subsection (a) is amended by adding a paragraph to read: 8 25 1
1 . Grounds for involuntary termination.
(a) General rule-The rights of a parent in regard to a child may
be terminated after a petition filed on any of the following
grounds:
I t *
(5) The child has been removed from the care of the parent by
the court or under a voluntary agreement with an agency [for a
oeriod ofat least six monthsl. the conditions which led to the
removal >. or placement of the child continue to exist, the
parent [cannot or will not remedy those conditlons within a
reasonable period of time] has not remedied those cond~tions within
12 months from the date of removal or placement, the services or
assistance reasonably available to the parent [are not likely to
remedy] have not remedied the conditions which led to the removal
or olacement of the child within [a reasonable period of time]
and termination of the parental rights would best serve the
needs and welfare of the child.
* (8) The child has been removed from the care of the oarent
child: - (i) was in olacement for a oeriod of 12 months or
(iil was returned home to the oarent. and ...
removed from the care of the oarent bv the court or under a
voluntan~agreement with an apencv for similar conditions of abuse.
neplect or incaoacitv.
(b) Other cansiderations-The court in terminating the rights of
a parent shall give primary consideration to the develo~mental.
ohvsical and
needs and welfare of the child. The rights of a parent shall not
be terminated solely on the basis of environmental factors such as
inadequate housing, furnishings, income, clothing and medical care
if found to be beyond the control of the parent. With respect to
any petition filed pursuant to subsection (aX1) [or (6)) through
(81, the court shall not consider any efforts by the parent to
remedy the conditions described therein which are first initiated
subsequent to the giving of notice of the filing of the
petition.
* Section 3. Section 2512(a) of Title 23 is amended by adding
a
paragraph to read: 5 2512. Petition for involuntary
termination.
(a) Who may file.-A petition to terminate parental rights with
respect to a child under the age of 18 years may be filed by any of
the following:
* * * (4) The child. reoresented bv an attorney. if the child
has been
adiudiciltcd deoendent under 42 Pa.C.S. 6 6341(cl (relatine to
adiudication). I * *
-
LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE MARCH 7 Amend Sec. 2, page 2, line
13, by striking out "2" and inserting
4 Amend Sec. 3, page 3, line 2, by striking out "3" and
inserting
5 Amend Sec 4, page 3, line 12, by striking out "4" and
inserting
6
On the question, Will the House agree to the amendment?
The SPEAKER. On the question of adoption of the amendment, the
Chair recognizes the gentleman, Mr. Krebs.
Mr. KREBS. Mr. Speaker, this amendment also passed in the last
session of the House, and what it does is it changes one of the
grounds for terminating parental rights f o r m adjudicated child,
and it does that by changing the wording from "a reasonable period
of tune'' to "12 months." It also adds an eighth condition for
terminating parental rights, and it does that by saying that a
child that has been adjudicated and returned to their parents and
then brought back into the children and youth service, that that
can now be a grounds for divorce. Then the third thing that it
does, Mr. Speaker, is that it allows the child to have legal
standing in a court of law for the termination of parental
rights.
The SPEAKER. On the question of the adoption of the Krebs
amendment, the Chair r e c o v s the gentleman from Luzemc, Mr.
Blaum.
Mr. BLAUM. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, 1 rise in
support of the Krebs amendment. This was in a bill which the House
passed last session, and I do
not know if Mr. Krebs knows it, but it is almost to the day in
1994, March 7, when that bill passed. Again, what the amendment
does is Q and prevent lads from lingering in foster care year after
year after year atler year when there are loving parents that are
ready and willing to adopt these children.
I think + h s is an outstanding amendment to a v e v good bill
and ask that the House approve this amendment. Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
On the question retuning, Will the House agree to the
amendment?
The following roll call was recorded:
Adolph Allen Argall ~ o n g Baker Bard Barley Banisto
Bebko-Jones Belardi Belfanti Bumelin Bishop Blaum Boscola Boyes
Brown Browme Bunt Bulkovilz
Egolf Evans Fairchild Fajt Farm - F-er Feese Fichter Fleagle
Flick Gamble G m o n Geist George Giglioni Gladeck Godshall Gordner
Gruilza k P P 0
Lucyk Lynch Maitland Major Manderino Markosek Marsica Masland
Mayemik McCall McGeehan McGill Melio Mew Michlovic Micouie Mihalich
Miller Mundy Sailor
SaUler Saylor Schroder Schuler Smimenti Semmel Serafini Shaner
Shechan Smith, B. Smith, S. H. Snyder, D. W Staback Stain Steelman
Steil Stem Stetler Stish SIrittmaIier
Buston Caltagirone Cappabianca Cam Carone Cawley Chadwick Civera
Clark Clymer Coheq L. I. C o h q M. Colafella Colaiuo Conti Cornell
Corpora Corrigan Cowcll COY cum_ Daley DeLuua Dempsey Dent Dmnody
DeWeese DiGirolamo Donatucci Dmee Durham
Habay Haluska H m a Harharl Hasay Hmessey Herman Hershey Hess
Homey Hutchinson ltkin Jadlowlec James Jarolin Josephs Kaiser
Reller Kenneg King Kirkland Krebs Kukovich LaGrotta Laughlin
Lawless Ledcror Leh k c o v i l z lrvdansky Lloyd
Nickol Nyce O'Brien Olasz Oliver Pmel Pesci P h c a Parone Penit
Phillips Piocola Pistella Pi- Plam Preston Ramos Raymond Readshaw
Reber Reinard Rieger Roberts Robinson Roebuck Rooney Rubley Rudy
Sainato Santoni
Taylor, J Thomas Tlgue
w Trello Trlch True Tulli Vance Van Home Veon Vitali Walko
Washington Waugh Williams
r' Wogan Wozniak Wright D. R. wnght. M. N. Yewcic Youngblood
Zimmmnan zug
R y a ~ Speaker
NAYS-I
Richardson
NOT VOTING4
Rohrer Travaglio
The majority having voted in the afiirmative, the question was
.
determined in the affirmative and the amendment was agreed
to.
On the question recurring, Will the House agree to the bill on
third consideration as
amended?
Ms. BISHOP offered the following amendment No. A1313:
Amend Title, page 1 , line 3. by inserting after "information" .
for eligibility for adoption
Amend Bill, page 2, by inserting between lines 12 and 13 w
Section 2. Section 23 12 of Title 23 is amended to read:
6 2312. Who mav adovt. , . Any individual may becamean adopting
parent. The race. ethnic origin
or reliion ofan individual is not a consideration in determining
whether that individual mav adoot.
Amend Sec 2, page 2, ?
line 13, by striking out "Zand <
Amend Sec 3, page 3.11ne 2, by stnk~ng out "3" and lnsertlng
4
Amend Bill. page 3, by inserting behveen lines 1 l and 12 w
Section 5 . The amendment of 23 P a C S . 5 2312 shall apply to
petitions for adoption filed on or after the efTective date of
this act. Amend Sec 4, page 3,11ne 12, by striking out " 4 and
inserting
6
-
1995 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE 653 On the question, Will the
House agree to the amendment?
The SPEAKER. On the question of the adoption of the amendment,
the Chair recognizes the lady, Ms. Bishop.
Ms. BISHOP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this amendment
gives us the idea of who can and
who IS eligble of adopting a child, that race, ethnic origin, or
religion of an individual is not a consideration in determining
whether or not that individual may adopt.
1 simply want to say that there are hundreds of children today
that are in foster-care systems that move from one foster-care home
to another until they are the age of 18, and at the age of 18, they
are no longer adoptable. They are let out of the home, troubled,
with no parents and do not know who their real parents are, because
policy tcday mandates that an Mean-American child cannot be adopted
by a Caucasian family. Oftentimes, the Ahcan-American children in
the system are far more than there are adoptable African-American
parents.
So I ask, in order to get these hundreds of children out of the
foster-care systems by parents who would love them and parents who
would want them and would provide good homes for them, that we give
a "yes" vote on this amendment. Thank you.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the lady. On the question of the
adoption of the Bishop amendment, the
Chair recognizes the gentleman, Mr. Steil. Mr. STHL. Mr.
Speaker, we have amendment A1 3 15.1 do not
believe we have an amendment A13 13. The SPEAKER. Will the
gentleman yield. Amendment A13 13 was distributed. It was not
distributed with
a packet, hut it was distributed. The Chair will wait a moment
to allow the gentleman to scan it.
It will not take hut a moment. Are there any further comments or
debate on the question of the
Bishop amendment?
On the question recurring, Will the House agree to the
amendment?
The following roll call was recorded:
Adolph Allen Argall Armstrong Baker Bard Barley Banisto
Bebko-Jones Belardi Belfadi Birmelin Bishop Blaum Roscola Boycs
Brow Browe Bunt Butkovitz nuaon Caltagirone
Egalf Evans Fairchlld Fajt Fargo Farmer Feere Fichter Fleagle
Flick Gamble G m o n Geia George Gigliotli Gladeck Godshall Gordner
Gruitza *PP~ llabay Haluska
Lucyk Lynch Maitland Major Mandenno Markosek Marsico Masland
Melio Merry Michlovic Micouie Mihalich Miller Mundy Nailor
Nickol Nyce
sather Saylor Schroder Schuler Smimenti Semmel Serafini Shaner
Sheehan Smith B. Smith, S. H. Snyder, D. W. Staback Stain Steelman
Steil Stem Stetler Stish Strimalter Sturla s u m
Cappabianca Carone Cawley Chadwick Civera Clark Clqmer Cohen L.
I. Cahen M. Colafolla Colaiuo Conti Cornell Corpora corngan Cowell
COY Curry Daley DeLuca Dempscy Dent Dermody DeWeese DiGirolamo
Donatucci D ~ c e Durham
H m a Harhart Hasay Hennessey Herman Hershey Iiess Horsey
Hutchinson ltkin Jadlowiec lames larolin Kaiser Keller K m e y King
Kirkland Krebs Kukovich Lacrotta Laughlin Lawless Lederer Leh
Lescovilz Levdamky Lloyd
O'Brien 0 l w Oliver Pmel Pesci Pebarca Petrone Pettit Phillips
Piccola Pisfella Pitts Platts Reston Ramos Raymond Readshaw Reber
Reinard Richardson Rieger Roberts Roebuck Rooney Rubley Rudy
Salnato Santoni
Tangreai Taylor, E. Z. Taylor, I. 'll,~hnnas
Tiguc Trello Trich True Tulli Vance Van Home Vcon Walko Wwhmglon
waugh Williams Wogan Womiak wngM D. R. W"ghf M. N Yewcic Youngblwd
Z i m n m a n zug
NAY S-2
NOT VOTING-2
Cam Joseph
The majority having voted in the attinnative, the question was
determined in the a m a t i v e and the amendment was agreed
to.
On the question recurring, Will the House agree to the bill on
third consideration as
amended? Bill as amended was agreed to.
The SPEAKER. This bill has been considered on three different
days and agreed to and is now on final passage.
The question is, shall the bill pass fmally ?
For what p q o s e does the gentleman, Mr. Sather, rise 7 Mr.
SATHER. To address the hill on final passage, Mr. Speaker. The
SPEAKER. The gentleman is in order. Mr. SATHER. Thank you very
much. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that we are at this point in
our
deliberation on IB 215.1 would respectfully request your support
on this legislation. It is much in need in the communities
today.
I have had personal experience with this type of legislation,
and I think those who are adopted have every right to expect and to
receive all the information that is available can be made available
to them. We are also, as you know, in the legislation protecting
the confidentiality of the birth parent or the natural parent.
I would ask for an affirmative vote. Thank you.
-
654 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE MARCH 7 The SPEAKER. The Chair
thanks the gentleman. I EXCUSED-2 On the question retuning, Shall
the bill pass finally 7 The SPEAKER. Agreeable to the provisions of
the Constitution,
the yeas and nays will now he taken.
dolph Egolf h c ~ k Sather Allen Evans Lpch Saylor Argall
Fairchild Maitland Schroder W o n g Fajt Major Schuler Baker Farm
Manderino Smmenti Bard Barley Ballisto Bebko-Jones Belardi Belfanti
Bimnelin Bishop Blaum Boscola Boyes Brown
" Farmer Feese Fichter Fleagle Flick Gamble G ~ o " mist George
Gididti Gladeck Godshall
Semmel Serafki Shaner Sheehan Smith, 8. Smith, S. H. Snyder, D.
W Staback Stairs Steelman Steil Stem
Browme Gordner Miller SMler Bunt Oruilza Mundy Stish Butkovitz ~
P P O Nailor StnNnalter Buxton Habay Nickol Sturla Caltagirone
Cqipbianca Cam Camne Cawley Chadwick Civers Clark C l p e r Cohm,
L. I. Cohen, M. Colafelle Colaizzo Conti Comell corpora Cmipan
Cowell COY c w Daley DeLuca Dempsey Dent D m o d y DeWeese
EiGimlamo Donabcci Druee D u m a
H a I d a Nyce H a m O'Brien H d a n Olasz Hasay Oliver H-essey
Perzel Herman Pesci Hershey Petrarca Hess Petrone Horsey Pellit
Hutchinson Phillip Itkin Piccola Jadlowiec Pistella James Pitts
lamlin Platts Joseph Preston Kaiser Ramos Keller Raymond Kenney
Readshaw King Reber Kirkland Reinard Krebs Richardson Kukovich
Rieger LaGrottz Rob& Laughlin Robinson Lawless Roebuck Lederer
Rooney Leh Rubley Lcscovitz Rudy Levdansky Sainato Lloyd
Santoni
NAY S-O
NOT VOTING4
Surra Tanpetti Taylor. E. Z. Taylor, J. Thomas Tigue Trello Tnch
True Tulli Vance Van Home Veon Vitali Walko Wzshingtn Waugh
Williams Wogan Womiak W"ght, D. R. W"ght. M. N Yewcic Youngblood
Zimmerman zug
R Y ~ R Speaker
1 The majority required by thz Constitution having voted in
the
affirmative, the question was determined in the affirmative and
the bill passed finally.
Ordered, That the clerk present the same to the Senate for
concurrence.
RESOLUTION PURSUANT TO RULE 35
The SPEAKER. The resolution we are about to take up, although
not a onvile~ed resolution. is a resolution that deserves o w
attention - and ow respect. It is a memorial resolution with
respect to the three firefighters who died fighting a fire in the
Allegheny County area recently.
Mr. GIGLIOTTI called up HR 72, PN 1072, entitled:
A Resolution recognizing Captain Thomas A. Brwks , tirefighter
Patricia Conroy and firefighter Marc Kolenda, all members of the
Pittsburgh Fire Department.
On the question, Will the House adopt the resolution?
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the gentleman, Mr.
Gigliotti.
Mr. GIGLIOTTI. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on February
14, a tragedy happened in the city of
Pittsburgh, as the resolution so indicates. We lost three great
firefighters in the city of Pittsburgh, and one of those
firefighters lived in my district, Marc Kolenda.
At this time I would hke to yield the floor to my colleagues who
both lost a firefighter in each of their districts. The first one
is Mr. Harry Readshaw.
Mr. READSHAW. Mr. Speaker, obviously this resolution is
presented in light of the tragedy that occurred on February 14,
1995, and claimed the lives of three very brave firefighters;
namely, Captain Thomas Brooks, firefighter Patricia Conroy, and
firefighter Marc Kolenda.
In honor of these dcdicatcd, courageous firefighters, we ask,
obviously, for evqone in this honorable House to vote affnmatively
on this resolution.
The firefighter who lived in my district was Patricia Conroy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. WALKO. Thank you,
Mr. Speaker. Captain Tom Brooks resided in my district, along with
his wife,
Lynn, and children, Kelly and Josh. They were a warm family who
were very active in the Polish Hill community.
Certainly we shall send ow wndolences of the House to Lynn and
the children and let them know that Captain Brooks' tragic death
shall re&rm our commitment to the firefighters with the stark j
realization that each time a firefighter hears the alarm bell, it
may be his or her last trip to a fire. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the gentleman, Mr. Walko.
-
LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE On the question recurring, Will thc
House adopt the resolution?
The SPb;N(ER. On the questlon of the adoption of the resolution,
those in favor will rise and remain standiig as a mark ofrespect
for these deceased members of the firefighting community.
(Whereupon, the members of the IIouse and all visitors stood in
a moment of silence in solemn respect to the memory of Capt. Thomas
A. Brooks, Patncia Conroy, and Marc Kolenda.)
'The SPE.4KF.K. The resolution is unanimously adopted.
SUPPLEMENTAL CALENDAR A I RESOLUTION PURSUANT TO RULE 35 I
Mr. McGEEHAN called up HR 79, PN 1165, entitled: I A Resolution
declaing March 1995 as ''Irish American Heritage Month
in Pennsylvania.
On the qucstion, Will the House adopt the resolution '7
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Bucks
County, Mr. Corrigan.
Mr. CORRIGAN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to
rcport today the formation of an
lrish caucus in the House of Representatives. I would also like
to report that on the 23d ballot, the following
men- The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman yield. Mr. CORRIGAN. Yes.
The SPEAKER. I th~nk the members are missing a very, very
important announcement. Mr. Corrigan, plcasc hold your voice up;
project your voice. Mr. CORRIGAN Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will
start again. Today in this budding the lirst Irish caucus was
formed in the
House of Representat~ves. As the Governor said today, "with
mixed reaction."
I am also pleased to report that on the 23d ballot, the
following men and women were electcd to leadership positions in
this caucus: myself, I was elected chairman of the lrish caucus;
the vice chairman is the Honorable Denny O'Brien; the secretary is
the Honorable Sara Steelman; Representativc FIennessey is the
sergeant at arms - be has the shillelagh - and last but not least,
the entertainment director is Representative i.ynch.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I omitted, Mr. Spcakcr - I
apologize - I omitted the name ol
Representative Tigue, who is the trcasurer. Thank you very much.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the gcntleman. In deferencc to the
brand-new l r~sh caucus, we recognize a few
aspiring candidates, the gentleman, Mr. Miconie. Mr. MICOLLIE.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Insh caucus and the Italian caucus
ever got together, we
could mle the world. Thank you. The SPEAKER. Mr. Trello. Mr.
TKEI,I,O. Mr. Speaker, as an eligible candidate for
membership in the Irish caucus, duc to the very lovcly young
lady
that I manied, I want to congratulate the committee for creating
such a caucus.
The Italian caucus has worked very, very well. I grew up in an
Italian neighborhood, and about, oh, right after the 1936 flood, we
allowed a few lrish families to move into our neighborhood, and of
course, all the Italians were very skeptical of these Insh people.
They thought they were h-oublemakers; they were going to cause
problems, and after 3 or 4 years, we found out that they were good,
honest, hardworkmgpeople, and ever since then we have gotten along
very, very well.
So with my personal experience with the lrish community, I want
to congratulate the caucus, and I can assure you that 1 will soon
be a member. Thank you vely much.
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the gentleman, Mr.
McGeehan.
Mr. McGEEIlAN, T h a d you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, congratulate
the newly elected chairman and the
committee. I also want to extend to my Italo-American
brothers,
Mr. Micozzie and Mr. Trello, our full cooperation in this great
institution.
I want to say that as all gwd Irishmen, they have to have
handles, and 'Tom told you who those members are, but they now have
new handles withii the committee. Of course, as chairman, Tom "Mr.
I r i sh Corrigan; Dennis "the Irish Rover" O'Brien; Sara "the Rose
of Tralee" Steelman; Tom "the Tinker" Tigue; Timmy "the Bouncer"
Hennessey; and Jim "the Hrbernian" Lynch.
Mr. Speaker, the Irish in America have a long and proud
tradition. Over 40 million Americans today claim some form of Irish
heritage even though the Emerald Isle only has 4 million citizens.
We are a prolific and sometimes irascible people, but, Mr. Speaker,
it is a proud heritage. We want to recognize that.
'This committee wants to work with this body to educate all
Pennsylvanians about the immense contributions of Insh-Americans,
starting with the esteemed Speaker, Matthew J. Ryan.
On a serious note, Mr. Speaker, when we dealt with the original
resolution today, I noticed in this resolution that a firefighter
from Pittsburgh, Patty Conroy, is the granddaughter of Irish
immigrants &om Galway, so kom the very esteemed Speaker to a
gallant firefighter who gave her l i e in the service of the people
of Pittsburgh, we have a great and long history in this
Commonwealth, and we are looking Coward to sharing that history
with all Pennsylvanians. Thank you.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the gentleman. Here is another
aspiring Irishman, Mr. Kikland. Mr. KIRKLAND. T h a d you, Mr.
Speaker. O'Kirkland is the name. On behalf of the Black Caucus, we,
too, Mr. Speaker, would like
to congratulate the formation of the Irish caucus here in the
House of Representatives.
It just continues to show the great diversity of cultures and
races that abound throughout this I-louse of Representatives, and
it shows that when people begin to sharc their own background, we
begin to get a better understanding of one another.
So as a member ofthe Black Caucus and as a representative of
them, we would like to congratulate them on their formation, and,
yes, I do have a little bit of O'Kirkland - I am sony - Insh in
myself Congratulations.
The SPEAKER. 1 am going to regret this one. The Chair recognizes
the gentleman, Mr. Cawley
-
656 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE MARCH 7 Mr. CAWLEY. Thank you,
Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had an accident, so that is why I have
my mouth
covered right now. But I would like to announce that the first
lrish narade will be this Saturdav at 9 o'clock. and Sundav vou
will read ,, in the paper, "Among the injured were . . "
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The SPEAKER. I did not get it. The Chair
recognizes the gentleman, Mr. Mihalich. Mr. MIHALICH. Thank you,
Mr. Speaker. On a personal note, 1 would like to say that I
recognized the true
value and what beautifid people the lrish were 43 ago when I
manied Lois Elaine.
And on another personal note, I would like to say that we offer
our congratulations here in the House. The 63 members of the
central and eastern European c a u c u s It is an informal
organization that we f m e d last year, and we are glad to see that
the Irish fmally got some spunk. We are great admirers of them, and
we are going to cooperate with them in any way. Thank you.
On the question recurring, Will the House adopt the
resolution?
The foll
Adolph Allen Argall Armstrong Baker Bard Barley Banisto
Bebko-Jones Belardi Belfmi Bimelin Bishop Blaum Bmola Boyes Brown
Brome Bunt Butkoviiz Buaon Caltagirone Cappabianca Cam Carone
Cawley Chadwick Civera Clark c l p e r Cohe", L. I. Cohe", M.
Colafells Colaiuo Cani Comell Corpora c0"igan Cowell COY curry
dale^ DeLuca Dempsey
owing roll call was recorded:
Egolf Lucyk Evans Lynch Fairchild Maitland Fajt Major Fargo
Manderino Farmer Markosek Feese Marsico Fichter Mapland Flesgle
Mayemik Flick McCall Gamble Mffieehan Gannon McGill Geist Melio
George Merry Gigliotli Michlovic Gladeck Micowie Godshall Mihalich
Gordner Miller G m i b Mundy @UPP~ Nailar Hahay Nickol Haluska Nyce
Hanna O'Bnen Harhart Olapz Hasay Oliver Hennesscy Perrel Herman
Pesci Hershey Pewarea Hsss Parone Horsey Penit Hutchinson Phillips
Ilkin Piccola Jadlowiec Pistella James Pit& Jarolin Platts
Josephs Preston Kaiser Ramos Keller Raymond Kenney Readshaw King
Reber Kirkland Reinard Krebs Richardson Kukovich Rieger LaGrotta
Roberts
Sather Saylor Schrodm Schuler Saimenti Semmel Se r a f i Shaner
~~~~~~~ ~~
Smith, B. Smith S. H. Snyder, D. W.
Stairs Steelman Steil Stem Stetler Stish strinmaner Sturla S u m
Tangreni Taylor, E. Z. Taylor, J. 7homap Tigue Trella Trich True
Tulli v a n e Van Home Veon Vitali Walko Washington Waugh Williams
Wogan Womiak W"gk D. R. Wright, M. N. Yewcic
Dent Laughlin Robinson Youngblood Dermody Lawless Roebuck
Zimmerman DeWeese laderer Rooney zug DiGirolamo Leh Rubley
Donatucci Lescovitz Rudv Rvan. . . Dru~e Levdansky Sainato Speaker
Durham Lloyd Santoni w
NAY S-O
NOT VOTING4
The majority having voted in the affirmative, the question was
determined in the affirmative and the resolution was adopted
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS - COMMITTEE MEETING
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the gentleman, Mr. Flick, for
the purpose of making an announcement. f
The gentleman, Mr. Flick, is recognized to announce that there
will be a meeting of the lntergovemmental Atrairs Committee on
Wednesday, March 8, at 10 a.m. in room 39, East Wing. The purpose
ofthe meeting will be a discussion of SR 12 with the possibility of
a vote on that resolution.
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS
The SPEAKER. The gentleman, Mr. Cohen, desires recognition for
the purpose of making a caucus announcement. I suggest you
listen.
Mr. COHEN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there will be a
Democratic caucus to discuss --
tomorrow's agenda tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Democratic caucus
room.
The SPEAKER. The Chair thanks the gentleman.
BILLS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEES, CONSIDERED FIRST TIME, AND
TABLED
HB 109, PN 81 By Rep. PICCOLA
An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the
Pennsylvania w
Consolidated Statutes, further providing for devices for theA of
telecommunications services and for theR of services.
HB 497, YN 525 By Rep. PICCOLA
An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for
restriction of operating privilege. *
JUDICIARY
-
1995 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE 657 HB 558, PN 591 By Rep.
HASAY
An Act amending the act of December 14, 1992 (P.L.810, No.l30),
known a~ the Pennsylvania Export Partnersh~p Act, further providing
for the expiration date.
COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
HB 710, PN 782 By Rep. HASAY
An Act amending the act ofDecember 12, 1980 (P.L.1179, N0.219).
known as the Secondary Mortgage Loan Act, adding definitions,
further providing for license requirements, for license
applications, for license fees, far license powers, for records
requirements, for bmrtations, for prepayment, for annual fees and
for penalties.
COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
HB 800, PN 885 By Rep PICCOLA
An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for
aggravated assault on sheriffs and deputy sheriffs.
JUDICIARY.
BILLS REMOVED FROM TABLE
The SPEAKER. The Chair recogfuzes the majority leader. Mr.
PERLEL. Mr. Speaker, I move that the following bills be
removed from the table:
HB 703; HB 558; and Ill3 710.
On the question, Will the House aFec to the motion? Motion was
agreed to.
BILLS RECOMMITTED
The SPEAKER The Chair recognizes the majority leader. Mr.
PERZEL. Mr. Speaker, I move that the following bills be
recommitted to the Appropriations Committee:
I-IB 174; F I B 845; HB 846; HE 844; HF3 248; HR 703; HB 558;
and HB710.
On the question, Will the House agree to the motion 7 Motion was
agreed to.
ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS OF SPONSORS
f ie SPEAKER. The Chair achowledges receipt of addlions and
deletions for sponsorships of bills, which the clerk will file.
(Copy of list is on file with the Journal clerk.)
HOUSE BILLS INTRODUCED AND REFERRED
No. 1061 By Representatives CAPPABIANCA, GEORGE, LEDERER,
BEBKO-JONES, SCRIMENTI, CURRY, L. I. COHEN, MERRY, JADLOWIEC, E Z.
TAYLOR, BELARDI, PISTELLA, TIGUE, COLAFELLA and TRELLO
An Act amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937
P.L.2897, No.1). known as the Unemployment Compensation Law,
providing for a self-employment assistance program.
Referred to Committee on LABOR RELATIONS, March 7, 1995.
No. 1062 By Representatives GIGLIOTTI, DeLUCA, J. TAYLOR,
THOMAS, E O N , BELARDI, STURLA, CAWLEY, STABACK, MERRY, MIIWICH,
SATHER, JAROLIN, LaGROTTA, TRELLO, OLASZ, LEVDANSKY, PRESTON,
YOUNGBLOOD, STEELMAN, LAUGHLIN, YEWCIC, BOSCOLA, PISTELLA, SflANER,
BELFANTI and HALUSKA
An Act regulating and requiring the licensure of construction
contractors; establishing the Construction Contractor Licensing
Board, establishing the Construction Contractor Licensing Board
Fund, imposing penalties, and making an appropriation.
Referred to Committee on PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, March
7,1995.
No. 1063 By Representatives FAIRCHILD, CLARK, GEIST, SATEER,
PIT'TS, JADLOWIEC, NAILOR, CONTI, FICHTER, HIITCHINSON, BIRMELIN,
ZUG, KING, LYNCH, TIGUE, GODSHALL, ARMSTRONG, FLICK, DeLUCA,
RAYMOND, MICOZZIE, LAWLESS, HERSHEY, HENNESSEY, DEMPSEY,
I MELIO, KENNEY, COLAFELLA, GRUPPO, STERN, FARGO, EGOLF, SAYLOR,
PETTIT, TRUE, LEH, HESS, PHILLIPS, ALLEN, PLATTS, MERRY, E Z.
TAYLOR, MARSICO, FL.EAGI.E, MiLLERBROWN, ADOLPH, S H. SMITH, HASAY,
BAKER, WOZNIAK, SEMMEL, CIVERA, GAMBLE and LAUGHLlN
A Joint Revolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for spending
limitations on the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.
Referred to Committee on STATE GOVERNMENT, March 7, 1995.
-
658 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - HOUSE MARCH 7
RUBLEY, IENNESSEY, LAUGIILIN and E. Z. TAYLOR I Referred to
Committee on FINANCE, March 7, 1995. d No. 1064 By Representatives
PITTS, PESCI, FLICK,
YOUNGBLOOD, MERRY, MELIO, TRELLO, STISH, S E M L , HERSHE y