June 22, 2016 – State Senate Democratic Whip Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) today said that the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) has been devastated by recurring state budget cuts and that the state spending plan now under consideration needs to address agency funding shortfalls.
“The PHRC has an incredibly important job to do and it cannot function properly if its funding is slashed year in and year out,” Williams said today.
Williams was joined at a news conference at the Capitol by his Democratic colleague from Philadelphia Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia), Senate Democratic leader Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Democratic Appropriations Chair Sen. Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) other Democratic senators and advocates.
“The agency’s ability to ensure that civil rights protections are upheld has been compromised by chronic underfunding,” Tartaglione said. “We are here to request that additional funds be included in the appropriation for the commission so it has the resources to do its important work.”
The state appropriation for the PHRC has fallen from $10.6 million in 2008 to $8.7 million last year. The total agency budget was reduced from $14.1 million to $10 million over the same time span.
“Incredibly, at a time when we should be doing more to protect civil rights, the agency dedicated to this purpose has had to dramatically cut staff and is under pressure to close cases without proper investigation,” Williams said.
The lawmakers are seeking an additional $2 million in state funding in this budget to bolster operations at the PHRC.
“I am pleased that my Senate Democratic colleagues and those representatives that have been touched by the work of the PHRC have come out today to support the call for more funding,” Williams said. “It is important that those of us who are committed to preserving this agency as a protector of civil rights stay united and put pressure on budget negotiators.”
Williams said that staffing at the commission is at a crisis point. According to the senator, the historical complement of investigators and professional staff has been just under 200 employees. Today, there are only 76 investigators and professionals to handle the agency’s responsibilities.
“Values like equality, service, integrity, excellence and teamwork were once associated with the commission and its operations,” Williams said. “The PHRC was once recognized as a preeminent protector of civil rights.
“We can get the agency back to that position of being a nationally-recognized leader, but it has to be funded properly.”
The call for more funding and for making systemic repairs at the commission follows media reports about upheaval at the agency over the last several years. Allegations of long-time staff being forced out, hostile working conditions and discriminatory hiring practices have been cited in news reports.
The operations of the commission were recently examined at a Senate State Government Committee hearing requested by Williams earlier this month.
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Harrisburg, May 18, 2016 – With drug overdose deaths reaching epidemic levels, Senate Democrats unveiled legislation today to address the opioid addiction crisis from prevention through recovery.
“Addiction is a disease that does not discriminate and there is no easy solution to fix the problem,” Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said. “When addiction finds its way into a family, it can nearly paralyze them for fear of what the future may hold.”
Recognizing the need to provide support at all levels, the Senate Democrats’ legislation focuses on providing new opportunities for education and treatment as well as expanded support options in the community for addicts, professionals and families.
“We cannot address this problem in a vacuum and must work to provide the necessary services and support to everyone involved,” Costa said. “Families are being affected and communities torn apart as a result of opioid abuses and heroin addiction.”
Opioids are a class of drug that include heroin as well as the prescription pain relievers oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl and others. According to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study, fatal drug overdoses in Pennsylvania increased 14 fold between 1979 and 2014.
“We are in the midst of the worst ever overdose death epidemic and the worst public health crisis of the last 100 years, Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs Gary Tennis said. “It will continue to take a collaborative effort among many partners to effectively address this crisis.”
The package of legislation includes:
Emergency Addiction Treatment Program – Charging the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs with establishing a comprehensive program that includes new addiction treatment facilities for those drug users that are currently going without care; new intake methods to provide information to those with addiction problems or their family and friends; advice and assistance in accessing treatment; and data collection to help identify patterns of addiction.
School Aged Children Opioid Awareness Education Program – Requiring the Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Health, and Education to work cooperatively to design an opioid awareness education programs to be delivered in schools.
Addiction Treatment Professional Loan Forgiveness Program – Require the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to develop an addiction treatment professional loan forgiveness program.
Opioid Addiction Prevention and Treatment Assessment – Impose a 10 percent assessment on the first sale of an opioid into the state. Revenues from the assessment will be used to support the purchase of naloxone for local law enforcement and emergency management personnel in addition to supporting addiction prevention and treatment programs.
Responding to the Senate Democratic proposals to the drug and alcohol problem, Deb Beck from the Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania said that the drug and alcohol problem “has reached epidemic levels in the state and these proposals will be life saving in impact.”
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HARRISBURG, May 11, 2016 – At a news conference held at the state capitol today, State Senator Art Haywood joined Senate Democratic colleagues and community leaders calling for tax reform to protect middle and low-income Pennsylvanians. At the event, Haywood introduced legislation – Senate Bills 1257 and 1258 – that would reduce the tax burden for everyday Pennsylvanians.
“At a time when our state and nation seem rigged against working people, when our minimum wage remains outrageously low, when schools and social services have been drained of funds – it is a crime that our commonwealth’s tax system is also stacked against everyday citizens,” Senator Haywood said. The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy placed Pennsylvania on the “Terrible Ten” list of states for unfair taxation in 2015. The researchers found that low-income Pennsylvanians pay three times the tax share of the wealthy in Pennsylvania, while middle-income earners pay twice as much as the well-off.
Senator Haywood introduced a two-part legislative package at the press conference, noting that he was open to additional suggestions for inclusion in the reform effort. First, SB 1257 would amend Article VIII, Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution to allow for graduated taxation of income. The amendment would make it possible for Pennsylvania to tax middle income families at a lower rate than those who are high-income. All of the states surrounding Pennsylvania have graduated taxation according to data from the Tax Foundation.
Second, SB 1258 would impose a 4% tax on non-wage, non-interest income classes that are concentrated among the most affluent. The tax would apply to net profits; dividends; net income derived from rents, royalties, patents and copyrights; gambling and lottery winnings; and net gains derived through estates and trusts. According to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, this legislation could add up to about $1.2 billion in revenue by the end of the 2017-18 fiscal year.
“While Pennsylvania is struggling to manage a more than $1 billion deficit, we cannot afford to continue requiring low and middle income families to pay double or even three times as much as the wealthy,” Haywood said. “What we need is a balanced tax system.”
SB 1258 complies with the Pennsylvania Constitution’s uniformity clause. In Aldine Apartments, Inc. v Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided the uniformity clause requires all taxes to be uniform “upon the same class of subjects” so long as a reasonable, non-arbitrary distinction exists relative to classification. Additionally, the bill’s impact on small businesses would be limited. Under current Pennsylvania law and regulations, if owners of small businesses classified as “S” corporations are employees of the corporations, their income could be classified as “compensation,” and would not fall within the classes of income impacted by SB 1258.
Joining Haywood in support of the legislative reform package were Senate Democratic leadership Jay Costa and Vincent Hughes. Senator Larry Farnese also voiced his support in a statement. “By ‘fair tax reform’ we mean taking the pressure off the people who can least afford to pay for the corporate welfare handouts that have increased under Republican leadership,” Senator Farnese said. “Fair is fair. The people and businesses at the top must stop depending on the people at the bottom to keep them afloat.”
Community leaders representing Pennsylvania’s Choice, a newly-formed non-partisan coalition for a balanced state budget, advocated for the legislation. Marc Stier of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center and Susan Spicka of Education Voters PA, both member organizations of Pennsylvania’s Choice, said the bills could bring important changes to the commonwealth: “Pennsylvania’s uniformity clause has made it difficult to adequately fund services like education while protecting everyday people from high taxes. By amending our state’s constitution, we can ensure middle-class and working people are not unfairly burdened with high taxes,” said Stier. “At the same time, implementing a tax on classes of income concentrated among the wealthy would create a more balanced tax system for all of us without any constitutional changes.”
As 2016-17 state budget conversations focus on addressing the structural deficit facing the commonwealth, dozens of community organizations across the state have joined Pennsylvania’s Choice to advocate for sustainable new sources of revenue as an alternative to continued cutbacks. Senator Haywood has supported Pennsylvania’s Choice, and says his legislation would soften the impact of tax increases on middle and low-income families.
“My hope is that this reform package opens up a responsible revenue discussion in Pennsylvania that looks at the real impact of our budget on everyday people,” Haywood said. “We must lay the groundwork to pay for schools, troopers, nursing home care and other state government services by protecting both the middle-class and those living paycheck-to-paycheck from shouldering the heaviest tax burden in our state.”
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Contact: Melissa Ostroff
Phone: 717-787-1427
mostroff@pasenate.com
Erie – May 5, 2016 – At the request of state Sen. Sean Wiley, the state Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing today on problems related to gas drilling in the Lake Erie watershed.
“We need to make responsible and measured decisions about where we can expand – as well as where we should limit – the presence, growth and impact of gas drilling,” said Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton/Lehigh), who chairs the committee. “Land owners, local communities and critical watershed regions like Lake Erie cannot take a back seat to company profits. “
Sen. Sean Wiley (D-Erie) said he called for the hearing to focus statewide attention on issues such as clean water withdrawal from Lake Erie as well as concerns over the disposal of shale gas wastewater and the potential for catastrophic contamination of sources of drinking water.
“The Lake Erie watershed is a prime destination for anglers and hunters,” Wiley said. “It is imperative that we take the necessary steps to protect and preserve this pristine resource that has been so important to our region for so long.”
Wiley said that hundreds of thousands of people fish the Ohio and Pennsylvania portions of Lake Erie, which overlie much of the Utica shale gas formation. While agreeing that the economic and job benefits of gas drilling are significant, Wiley cautioned that huge water withdrawals from the watershed, threats of wastewater pollution and well integrity issues could alter stream flows, threaten steelhead fishing and encourage the introduction of invasive species in the region.
Much of today’s hearing focused on state laws regulating gas drilling and what steps can be taken to better protect the state’s watershed regions. Boscola called for the need to strike a “balance” between efforts to encourage gas drilling and competing efforts to protect community, recreational, health and environmental interests.
Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper said she cannot support gas drilling in the Erie watershed because there are too many risks to “our health, public safety and to the beautiful resource that is Lake Erie.
Pointing to devastating natural gas explosions around the state, Dahlkemper asked, “How much risk is too much risk? We have a duty to protect the Lake Erie watershed and a responsibility to protect this fresh water resource that provides drinking water for tens of thousands of people, has generated $980 million in tourism and provides some of the best fishing in the nation.”
Dr. Marsha Haley, who serves as an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Pittsburgh, pointed to studies indicating that leaching of drilling wastewater can affect the chemical composition of streams and adversely impact water ecosystems and watershed wildlife.
She also pointed to separate studies in Washington County, Southwestern Pennsylvania and Northeastern Pennsylvania indicating that people who live closer to well sites experience a greater incidence of health problems ranging from respiratory and heart symptoms to lower birth weight.
Representatives from the oil and gas drilling industry were invited to testify, but declined to attend.
“This hearing shouldn’t be an argument that pits drillers against preservationists, job creators against environmentalists, and the state’s energy sector against health and community interests,” Boscola said. “To me, our task isn’t about taking sides. It’s about finding a balance.”
Boscola and Wiley were joined on the Senate panel by Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland).
In addition to Senate committee members, the following took part in the discussion:
- Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkepmer
- Marsha Haley, medical doctor (radiation oncology)
- Sister Pat Lupo, Benedictine Sisters, Environmental Education and Advocacy of Erie County
- John Rossi, Pennsylvania State Chapter of the Sierra Club
- John Walliser, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
- Ryan Grode, SWPA Environmental Health Project
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Pittsburgh – April 7, 2016 – At the request of state Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, the state Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a hearing on ways to improve access to treatment for people suffering from addiction to opiates, such as heroin, opium and prescription drugs including Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, morphine and others.
“Pennsylvania worsening opioid addiction crisis is both tragic and frightening,” said Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton/Lehigh), who chairs the committee. “Apart from the devastating human toll, this drug epidemic is spurring a new wave of crime, swelling our prisons and straining limited state and county treatment resources.”
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Last year, 246 deaths in Allegheny County were attributed to opioids, the county medical examiner reported.
Much of today’s hearing focused on treatment coverage and what resources are needed to help people overcome their addiction to opiates. Boscola noted that most Pennsylvania insurance plans only cover two to four weeks of inpatient rehabilitation despite national health expert claims that it takes a minimum of three months of inpatient care for treatment to work.
Costa added that “apart from the devastating human toll on opiate addicts and their families, there is a correlating financial consequence on state and local health agencies, prisons and service delivery systems.
“To help these people get off and stay off these drugs, we have to find a way to give them access to the appropriate level of treatment. Otherwise, we’re doing little more than recycling addicts, adding to police blotters, crowding our prisons and draining limited social service and healthcare resources.”
Last year, the legislature approved a measure (Act 139) that enables first responders and police officers to carry naloxone kits to reverse overdoses. Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Gary Tennis announced in September that officers had already saved 289 people. The law also provides Good Samaritan type protections for others who call 911 and provide help to those who are overdosing.
Deb Beck, who serves as president of the Drug and Alcohol Service Providers of Pennsylvania, cautioned that if “addictions go untreated, people will die.” She said the state’s drug and alcohol treatment system is overwhelmed.
Beck was critical of the health insurance industry, accusing them of engaging in “patterns of denial.” She said insurance carriers are playing “keep-away” with benefits. Beck added that she “met with numerous families with children who had died. They learned that they had coverage, but couldn’t figure out how to access it.”
She also noted that the prescription drug industry rakes in $16 billion nationwide from the sale of opiate pain killers, but has done nothing to help clean-up the epidemic these drugs have spurred.
Chris Monahan of the market regulation branch of the state Insurance Department said his agency has not received many individual complaints, but said the department will be doing a widespread market conduct study to make sure insurance companies are complying with coverage requirements.
Pittsburgh City Council President Bruce Kraus, called drug addiction a “cancer on our culture,” and urged a greater emphasis on pre-emptive education, training and treatment.
Boscola said addiction to opiates knows no race, sex, creed, color or economic stature. She said addicts range from the “neighbor who was injured at work and became addicted to pain killers” to the “kid next door who tried some Oxycontin that a friend stole from his mom’s medicine cabinet and sold him at school.”
Costa suggested that the Insurance Department consider appointing an ombudsman to help consumers get around barriers. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald suggested a database be created to help prevent addicts from supporting their habit by skipping around between doctors.
Senators Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), John Wozniak (D-Cambria) and Sean Wiley (D-Erie) joined Costa and Boscola on the Senate panel. The following also took part in the discussion:
- Secretary Gary Tennis, PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
- Secretary Ted Dallas, PA Department of Human Services
- Christopher Monahan, Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Market Regulation
- Sandy Ykema, Department Counsel, Pennsylvania Insurance Department
- Mark Sarneso, Central and Western Region Director, Gaudenzia
- Steve Roman, Chief Planning Officer, Greenbriar
- Paul Bacharach, President and CEO, Gateway Rehabilitation Center
- Deb Beck, President, DASPOP
- Dr. Abigail Schlesinger, Medical Director, Outpatient Behavioral Health and Child and Family Counseling Center, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
- Honorable John A. Zottola, Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County
- State Rep. Ed Gainey (D-Allegheny)
- Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh City Council President Bruce Kraus both provided opening remarks.
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