HARRISBURG, June 15, 2012 — Senate Democrats today said that a prison reform measure swiftly moving through the legislature with bipartisan support is a solid step toward improving the corrections system and includes a number of ideas promoted by their caucus.
Senate Democrats said the initiatives they’ve pushed include increased programming for release for non-violent offenders to reduce technical parole violations, expediting programming for short-time non-violent offenders to help effectuate their timely release and aggressively utilizing alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders and the increased use of treatment programs.
State Sen. Shirley Kitchen, a longtime proponent of prison reform and second chance initiatives, has worked closely over the years with the bill’s prime sponsor, state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery) on promoting more sensible corrections policies.
“Building more prisons is not the answer. We must be smarter about corrections spending and use alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders so this legislation is a good step forward,” said Kitchen (D-Phila.). “The majority of prisoners will be released back into the public and they should have the tools to get a decent job, be productive members of society and stay out of jail.
“If we implement this reform correctly and use what is available in the plan regarding the management of non-violent prisoners as they are absorbed into society, then all taxpayers save money,” she said.
Senate Bill 100 offers several provisions to help reduce the prison population without risking the safety of the public. The bill makes more nonviolent offenders eligible for Pennsylvania’s alternative sentencing programs, including county intermediate punishment, state intermediate punishment, state motivational boot camp, and the recidivism risk reduction incentive.
The bill also establishes the Safe Community Reentry Program and requires the Department of Corrections to establish a comprehensive program to reduce recidivism and ensure the successful reentry and reintegration of offenders into the community.
Senate Bill 100 is back under consideration in the Senate after receiving unanimous approval, first in the Senate, then in the House with amendments.
“We need to shift our fundamental way of thinking when it comes to corrections. Too many incarcerated men and women can be monitored and reformed with alternative sentencing initiatives and smarter parole policies,” said state Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery), the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee. “Measures like Senate Bill 100 will help Pennsylvania enact smarter and more cost-effective corrections practices that will ease spending without jeopardizing public safety.”
Senate Democrats are generally supportive of prison reforms and have sought over the years to make changes.
“As part of the Senate Democratic budget priorities this year, we outlined a detailed plan that would have lessened the burden on our prison system and reduced costs,” said state Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), the Democratic leader. “We believe that corrections reform dealing with non-violent offenders is a fundamental step toward reducing prison costs and recidivism. It will save taxpayer dollars in the long run.”
Costa served on the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing for many years. He was appointed to the commission in 1997. Sen. Leach currently serves on the commission.
State spending on corrections has exploded in the past three decades, from $185 million in 1985 to $1.8 billion this year. Since the Special Legislative Session on Crime in the mid-1990s, Pennsylvania’s prison population has nearly doubled.
“The Department of Corrections is the fourth largest recipient of spending in the state budget and spending has increased with the dramatic rise in the number of prisoners in the past few decades,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Phila.), the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “It is common sense to enact reforms that ease overcrowding, reduce recidivism and provide non-violent offenders and ex-offenders with opportunities to move on a better path. The reforms offered in Senate Bill 100 are a solid step toward achieving those goals, and we must continue to seek innovative initiatives that will keep prison costs in check while maintaining public safety.”
The legislation passed the state House earlier in the week and now is headed back to the Senate for concurrence.
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Monroeville, June 14, 2012 — Education experts, labor leaders, area school administrators and school board members today laid out disastrous financial problems at a state Senate hearing on the impact of state public school funding cuts.
Held at Sen. Jim Brewster’s (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) request, the hearing was aimed at gaining a better understanding of how state funding cuts are impacting schools and taxpayers. Testimony was also offered on ways to raise additional revenues or establish greater school efficiencies.
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“Despite the proposed state subsidy restorations, area school boards continue to struggle with dire financial challenges that have resulted in curriculum cutbacks, teacher lay-offs and steep local property tax hikes,” Brewster said. “This discussion enabled local school officials and educational experts to weigh in on their funding challenges, and ways we can adequately and reliably fund our public schools.”
Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton/Lehigh/Monroe), who chairs the committee, added, “As we finalize the state’s budget in the days ahead, school funding will be one of more crucial and controversial issues. Gaining input from school board members and administrators across the state who are actually in the trenches struggling with funding shortfalls will be invaluable to us.”
In his testimony, Sen. Andrew Dinniman (D-Chester/Montgomery), who serves as Democratic chair of the Senate Education Committee, said the state now provides $352 million less for public schools than it did in fiscal 2008-09. He said less state support has translated into higher property taxes, an “onerous tax that takes no measure of true wealth or income.”
He added that the Corbett Administration’s school funding shortfalls are leading children from “the school door to the prison gate,” will fail to prepare our children for the new world economy and threaten to “destroy Pennsylvania’s ability to compete economically for decades into the future.”
All of the area superintendents and school board members who testified sharply criticized the Corbett Administration’s education policies. Many predicted that a growing number of schools would soon be facing deficits and on the brink of financial collapse. Many pointed to dwindling state subsidies, unfunded mandates and being cornered into annually hiking property taxes, furloughing teachers and cutting educational programs.
Michael Crossey, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, told the senators there are very few incentives for young people to go into the teaching profession these days because of the widespread funding uncertainty and lack of respect for teachers.
Boscola commended Brewster for his “unrelenting efforts to find additional revenue sources to supplement stagnant school subsidies.
Last year Brewster introduced legislation that would dedicate half of a 7 percent natural gas drilling fee for public school funding. The bill would generate $280 million annually, but majority Republicans have buried the proposal in a senate committee.
In both of his first two years in office, Gov. Corbett proposed steep educational funding cuts in his budget proposals. Last year, the governor proposed cutting $1.1 billion before the legislature restored $200 million. This year, the senate version of the budget bill would level fund public school funding by restoring an additional $100 million. Boscola predicted that this year’s budget will be finalized in the next week or two.
Brewster said many school districts cannot absorb huge state funding cuts with growing personnel costs, rising energy and physical plant costs and skyrocketing employee pension costs.
“While the Corbett Administration boasts about holding the line on state taxes, they have fostered a tax shifting shell game that leaves our schools, students and taxpayers out on a limb,” Brewster said. “Our kids deserve an opportunity for a good education, not some cut-rate abbreviated mishmash that does little more than sound good in right wing stump speeches.”
Joining Boscola, Brewster and Dinniman at the hearing were Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), and Senators Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), Vincent Hughes (D-Phila.), Rich Kasunic (D-Fayette/Somerset), and Tim Solobay (D-Washington).
Those who testified included: Senator Andrew Dinniman, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Education Committee;Michael J. Crossey, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA); Robert Pallone, president of the New Kensington-Arnold School District School Board; Richard P. Livingston, president of the Clairton City School District Board of Directors; Marilyn Messina, president of the Woodland Hills School District Board of Education; Dr. George Batterson, superintendent of the New Kensington-Arnold School District; Dr. Bart Rocco, superintendent of the Elizabeth-Forward School District; and Dr. Michael Panza, superintendent of the Sto-Rox School District
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HARRISBURG, June 8, 2012 — Democratic Leader Jay Costa offered the following statement on the Legislative Reapportionment Commission’s adoption of a final legislative reapportionment plan:
“The reapportionment process has been long and taken many twists and turns. Unfortunately, we are right back to where we started when the Supreme Court rejected the previous gerrymandered map. Incredibly, in the face of clear guidance from the court and provisions of the state constitution, the commission adopted another gerrymandered map.
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“The map contains way too many inexplicable and unnecessary partisan county splits that run afoul of the court and the constitution. Plus, Republicans applied different data when they drew eastern and western Pennsylvania districts. Their arbitrary and inconsistent use of performance data in the east and registration numbers in the west conveniently benefits their party.
“The final map is the product of a broken and bewildering process in which the public was ignored and negotiation was illusory. The map is a total disappointment.”
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HARRISBURG – June 4, 2012 – State Sen. Jay Costa, the Senate’s Democratic Leader, unveiled legislation that would institute protections for programs serving seniors if Gov. Tom Corbett decides to proceed with privatizing the management of the state lottery.
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“If the governor seeks to privatize the management of the state lottery, there must be parameters and safeguards in place to protect the Lottery Fund,” Costa said. “Programs for seniors are way too important to be put in jeopardy and should not be subjected to the profit imperative.”
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[/frame]Earlier this year, Corbett announced that he was exploring a private management agreement for the lottery, arguing that it is necessary to generate sufficient revenue to fund future costs. The governor’s office released their assessment that a private management team could have generated an extra $275 million in revenue had it been in place from 2008 through 2011.
“The legislation that I am offering does not interfere with the governor’s planned examination of privatization,” Costa said. “My bill puts teeth into the process and ensures that programs helping seniors are not jeopardized, workers are not threatened and that there is proper oversight.”
Costa said his plan relies heavily on openness, public accountability and scrutiny. The lawmaker said his legislation would require the following as a part of the management contract:
- Contracts cannot be longer than five years;
- Control is retained over significant business decisions – the lottery cannot be sold;
- Information may be demanded for any aspect of lottery operations;
- Advance notice must be given about operating decisions that impact public interests;
- Principal offices must be located in Pennsylvania;
- A percentage of the business must be reserved for minority-owned enterprises.
Costa said that an important aspect of his legislation is the public review of the proposed plan. The contact should be open and done through public bidding and the selection based on stringent bidding protection.
“My plan requires that prior to the selection of a vendor, a public hearing is held and the two finalists unveiled,” Costa said. “I also believe it important for the governor to make the final decision and that the reason he choose one or the other bidder be disclosed.”
The Department of Revenue would be required to report back to the General Assembly on a quarterly basis and the entire operation can be completely investigated in the third and fifth year of the contact.
Costa said the language in the bill is patterned after a similar proposal in Illinois which recently privatized its lottery management.
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HARRISBURG, June 4, 2012 – Top Senate Democrats today asked Gov. Tom Corbett to release details of the deal that will bring a petrochemical cracker plant to Western Pennsylvania.
In light of recent reports asserting that the deal with Shell Chemical was sealed with expensive long-term tax breaks, Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Appropriations Chairman Vincent Hughes and Finance Chairman John Wozniak have requested a meeting with Corbett administration officials to discuss details of the agreement.
In a letter sent today, the three Democrats reasserted their praise for the administration’s effort to bring a significant number of jobs to Beaver County, but noted that there is little time left in the current budget negotiations to review complicated – and perhaps controversial – tax and revenue proposals.
“Therefore, it is vital that the members of the committees who handle tax and revenue legislation be informed immediately of possible fiscal impact,” the letter said. “It is critical that the legislature and the citizens of Pennsylvania have all the time possible to examine, consider and possibly amend a plan that could have costs and implications well into the next generation.”
After months of negotiations with several states, Shell Chemical announced in March their intention to develop a $4 billion cracking plant on the site of a soon-to-be-abandoned zinc plant in Beaver County.
The Corbett administration and industry officials said such a plant would generate as many as 10,000 construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions in a region that has been hit hard by the collapse of the steel economy and the recent recession.
FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER:
Dear Governor Corbett:
As you know, Senate Democrats were quick with praise for your administration’s efforts to convince Shell Chemical to develop their petrochemical cracker plant in Western Pennsylvania.
The jobs and economic development from such a facility would be a tremendous boost to a region hit hard by a changing economy and the recent recession. However, there are a number of questions which have arisen and growing indications that important details of the arrangement with Shell have not been disclosed to the members of the General Assembly.
We are sure you are aware of public reports asserting that there are long term tax and revenue implications. Therefore, it is vital that the members of the committees who handle tax and revenue legislation be informed immediately of possible fiscal impact. Then, the full General Assembly should be briefed.
With less than a month to go before the budget deadline, we ask that members of your
administration privy to the particulars of the petrochemical cracker deal meet with Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations and Finance Committees to explain legislative action that might be necessary to consummate the deal with Shell.
It is critical that the legislature and the citizens of Pennsylvania have time to examine, consider and possibly amend a plan that could have costs and implications well into the next generation.
We are available to meet at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Jay Costa
Vincent J. Hughes
WILKES-BARRE, June 1, 2012 – – Northeastern Pennsylvania state Sens. John Yudichak and John Blake today welcomed Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Senate Democratic Appropriations Chairman Vince Hughes (D-Philadelphia) to the site of a stalled construction project in Luzerne County to announce the details of a $2.8 billion plan that would upgrade Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and create thousands of jobs.
“Our plan will not only put Pennsylvanians back to work, but it will provide the necessary funding to move forward on critical transportation projects like the South Valley Parkway project where we are standing today,” Yudichak said. “The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Plan will not only improve the quality and safety of our roads and bridges, but will create thousands of jobs and encourage business development.”
The Senate Democrats’ “Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Plan” involves creative new solutions to leverage existing federal, state and private resources in support of $2.8 billion in new infrastructure investment.
At the core of the plan is the creation of a new tax incentive program that would fund $1.5 billion in water, sewer and public transit infrastructure improvements. The principal on the $1.5 billion in bonds would be paid from already earmarked shale tax revenues and local contributions for mass transit projects. The plan would also use federal GARVEE bonds to generate $1 billion to fund a short term transportation improvement plan.
“Our proposal is a fiscally responsible way to repair our infrastructure without overburdening future state budget or increasing taxes,” Blake said. “Pennsylvania – and especially Northeastern Pennsylvania – needs jobs. Investing in transportation and other public works infrastructure can provide them.”
Another facet of the plan would refocus $167 million now available through the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) to make infrastructure investments for new commercial and industrial real estate developments. These can attract new businesses as well as support in-state business expansion while financing more small business loans and new venture capital incentives.
“Without raising any taxes, the Senate Democratic plan will create jobs and make an investment in the future of Pennsylvania by improving and upgrading our infrastructure,” Costa added. “This is a smart investment for the future of Pennsylvania and also a proven way to positively impact the state economy.”
Finally, the Senate Democratic infrastructure investment plan will sustain the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (CURE) program to invest $60 million through our major academic research institutions for life science research and development.
“Senate Democrats understand that the clearest path to improving Pennsylvania’s economy is through targeted investment in our infrastructure,” Hughes said. “We have a real plan with clear, innovative solutions to leverage existing federal, state and private equity resources to address the dire needs of Pennsylvania’s infrastructure.”
Many other local business leaders and elected officials also participated in the news conference to lend their support to funding improvements to Pennsylvania’s infrastructure.
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