Harrisburg – May 8, 2012 – A nationally known public sector legal authority with vast experience in municipal, education and tax law has been appointed to the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission on the recommendation of state Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny).
Costa, the Senate’s Democratic Leader, recommended lawyer Ira Weiss to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati for appointment to the commission.
“Attorney Ira Weiss has decades of experience in municipal law and can provide expertise as a member of the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission,” Costa said. “The commission reports annually on the financial operations of the General Assembly.”
Costa said that the commission’s work is mandated by Article VIII, Section 10 of the state constitution and consists of eight members, including four public members, one each recommended by the caucus leaders and four members of the General Assembly.
“Ira has been a leading attorney in the field of education law for many years and is regarded as an expert in municipal law,” Costa said.
Weiss serves as solicitor for numerous school districts, municipal authorities and municipalities throughout the Pittsburgh region. He currently is solicitor for the Pittsburgh school district and several other school districts and municipalities in Western Pennsylvania.
He was solicitor for Allegheny County and participated in many legislative study commissions and boards.
“Ira has been recognized by his peers for his outstanding work and received the 2008 President’s Award for Distinguished Achievement in School Law,” Costa said. “Unquestionably he will be an asset to the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission.
The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission was established in 1970.
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HARRISBURG, May 2, 2012 — Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today issued the following statement on the agreement between Highmark and UPMC:
“The extension of the contract between Highmark and UPMC is good news and it’s the right thing to do for all health care consumers in the Western Pennsylvania. Many people have worked on this issue and worked toward this agreement. It is good to know that these efforts were not in vain.
“For too long there have been too many questions and too much apprehension about where consumers would be able to turn for life-saving health care if this issue were not resolved. Individuals, businesses, workers, seniors and so many others who are impacted can now be assured of access to high quality, low-cost health care for the near future.
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“By agreeing to provide access to health care facilities until 2015, the insurance and health care markets in Pittsburgh will have increased stability in a time of market adjustment. This access period will allow time to negotiate an even longer agreement that benefits all health care consumers in the Pittsburgh area.
“The agreement provides the kind of protection that workers, families, businesses, seniors and communities deserve. It is the type of arrangement that Sen. Don White and I – and all our colleagues from the region – envisioned when we drafted our legislation (SB 1358).
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“I want to personally commend the collective work of Gov. Corbett, Sen. Don White and members of his caucus, House leadership including Reps. Dermody and Turzai, lawmakers from Western Pennsylvania and especially my Senate Democratic colleagues who provided the strong support that was needed to work through the various problems and issues.
“I am pleased that we can put this issue aside and provide relief for all health care consumers served by both Highmark and UPMC.”
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HARRISBURG, May 1, 2012 –Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes offered the following comments regarding today’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) Revenue Estimate Report, which stated that the projected shortfall will be $300 million, not $719 million as reported by the governor during his budget presentation earlier this year.
Sen. Jay Costa:
“The Independent Fiscal Office release of its independent preliminary estimate of the fiscal condition of Pennsylvania confirms what Senate Democrats have predicted since the governor made his budget presentation in February. The governor’s estimated deficit of more than $700 million was way off target.
There now is no question that there will be far more available dollars to restore key budget lines that support job creation, education, safety net programs and investments for the future.
Funds are tight and resources must be stretched. However, it is clear that the administration does not need to cut so deeply into social safety net programs, education and human services that impact so many.”
Sen. Vincent Hughes:
“For a second year, the governor has miscalculated the revenues. The Independent Fiscal Office has reinforced what Senate Democrats have argued for months. There is additional funding available, by IFO estimates, of more than $800 million.
With April’s revenue collections reducing our current shortfall to below $289 million, the likelihood is that our yearend shortfall could be below $200 million, providing even more state revenue.
Instead of providing false choices – pitting seniors against students – we have the option to do so much more – restore education, protect our social safety net programs and tackle our number one priority – job creation.
The devastating cuts that the governor has proposed should be set aside and a new fiscal plan developed that is reconciled with the new revenues. Pennsylvania can move forward if it moves away from the governor’s fuzzy budget numbers based on rhetoric not arithmetic.”
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HARRISBURG, April 12, 2012 –- Statement of Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Senate Democratic Leader, on his vote against the Preliminary Reapportionment Plan that was approved by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission on a 4-1 vote:
“While the Preliminary Plan retains the Senate Democratic seats in Western Pennsylvania, the plan does not go far enough in addressing the requirements of the Supreme Court and, therefore, I could not support the plan. This plan serves only as a starting point. While I am not satisfied, I look forward to the public comment period and to working through the issues that we have raised.
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“The plan must be fairly drawn and comply with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. Also, it must avoid unnecessary splits and not be contorted for partisan political purposes. We need a public process to review the Preliminary Plan and we have to undertake a comprehensive review in the context of the Supreme Court’s decision and the constitution.”
Harrisburg – April 3, 2012 – At a news conference outside the doors of the Senate Chamber, state Senate Democrats unveiled a budget plan calling for more than $1 billion in new investments to help create jobs, fund education and repair the social safety net.
The Senate Democrats’ plan does not require a tax increase.
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Sen. Jay Costa, the Democratic floor leader, said that caucus budget priorities are “balanced and fair because the plan does not contain general tax increases yet it provides for hundreds of millions dollars for new investments in job creation, education, social safety net programs and property tax reductions.”
Costa (D-Allegheny) said that Senate Democrats believe they can cull more than $1 billion in new revenues if Gov. Tom Corbett is willing to engage in discussions.
Costa said that the Senate Democratic budget priorities rely on rebalancing debt, implementing innovation and efficiencies and leveraging federal money.
“We have been promised that we will have a seat at this year’s budget negotiations and we plan on bringing an aggressive, principle-driven plan to the attention of the governor and legislative Republicans,” Costa said.
Last year, Costa and House Democratic colleagues were excluded from budget discussions.
The Corbett administration and Republican negotiators produced a widely-scorned budget plan that eviscerated social safety net programs, caused local property taxes to spike, education programs to suffer, and teachers to be laid off – a plan that “failed to meet the needs of working families,” Costa said.
Senate Democratic Appropriations Chairman Sen. Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia) said that Senate Democrats were going to closely examine the Corbett administration budget figures given their experience of last year.
“Last year, the governor missed the revenue surplus by ten-fold and significantly underestimated the cost of their bonus depreciation gift to big business,” Hughes said. “We believe that with a true reckoning of revenue this year, combined with the implementation of our budget ideas, we can make investments that create jobs now and meet challenges faced by working families.”
Hughes said Senate Democrats would like to add at least $250 million into Accountability Block Grants and higher education along with another $200 million in job creation strategies that include research and development. He said that his Senate Democratic colleagues are renewing their call to refocus unused cash in the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) for job creation.
Hughes also indicated that the amount of money that Democrats are requesting for each item will grow if more revenues become available.
According to Costa, if the Senate Democratic budget priorities are captured and used for the 2012-13 budget plan, overall General Fund spending would only slightly rise – an increase of less than 1.5 percent.
“Our participation in budget discussions will hopefully prevent another budget filled with cuts that have had far-reaching ramifications,” Costa said. “With the resources available and more revenues gained through efficiencies and program adjustments there is no reason why we can’t move Pennsylvania forward now.”
Costa said Corbett’s last budget was unpopular and crafted to benefit big business at the expense of working families and small business.
“Senate Democrats are planning to be proactive in budget negotiations and are willing to have discussions with lawmakers and the administration to achieve a fair, reasonable and responsible spending plan,” Costa said.
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