State Capitol Roundup for June 13

Here's the State Capitol ROUNDUP, a weekly summary of events in Harrisburg, courtesy of state Rep. Bob Mensch (R-147):

GOP Lawmakers Call for Gaming Board Chair's Resignation

House Republicans are again questioning the integrity of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) in light of the recent $120,000 bonus payment for outgoing Executive Director Anne Neeb. Under the terms of her contract, Neeb was set to receive only four month's worth of her $180,000 salary. However, according to an eight-page "separation agreement" Neeb will get a salary continuation of $15,000 per month through September 6 (a total of $60,000), medical benefits through September, and a lump sum payment of $60,000. Pointing to the ongoing secrecy, the Gaming Board's previous refusals to testify under oath, and misleading the public about the Neeb settlement, House Republicans are asking for Colins' resignation. Some people have suggested the new arrangement could be "hush-money," as it forbids Neeb to speak to the media about the board or its actions in the future.

Inflated Budget Bill Sees Action in Committee, Missed Deadline Still Likely

The 2008-09 budget proposal was amended this week by House Democrats to include an additional $147 million in spending. This brings the total of the proposed budget bill to nearly $28.5 billion, or nearly a 5 percent increase over this year. House Republicans opposed this additional spending and are wondering where the money will come from since recently released information shows the budget surplus to be significantly lower than what the governor had anticipated. While Republicans are encouraged that House Bill 2380 has finally been posted for a vote, they fear the progress may be too-little-too-late as the bill cannot be debated until the week of June 23, just seven days before the deadline. For more information regarding the budget, visit PAHouseGOP.com.

Legislation to Prevent Budget-Related Furloughs Introduced

In an effort to avoid a repeat of last year's budget-related furloughs of state employees, House Republicans have introduced legislation to ensure no work stoppages occur this year. House Bill 2630, sponsored by Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Lower Paxton), is similar to a proposal adopted by the Senate earlier this year. With House Democrats refusing to move the Senate bill out of committee, Rep. Jerry Nailor (R-Mechanicsburg) introduced a discharge resolution to force the bill out. Instead, House Democrats amended the bill to raid the state's Rainy Day Fund in order to support increased state spending. House and Senate Republicans believe state employees should not be used as pawns in budget negotiations. Last year, 24,000 employees were furloughed for one day, though a final budget was not adopted until 17 days after the June 30 deadline.

Lawmakers Pursuing Tougher Parole Requirements for Violent Offenders

In a press conference this week, Philadelphia Reps. John Perzel (R-Philadelphia) and John Taylor (R-Philadelphia) were joined by more than 40 Republican colleagues in rallying support for legislative initiatives that would make it more difficult for violent offenders to get out of prison before serving their full sentences. In addition to calling for tougher and longer sentences for violent criminals, the lawmakers also pointed at several initiatives designed to reduce violent crime. Under the proposed changes, certain convicts would not be eligible for parole or other early release programs. Also, all mandatory five-year sentences for gun offenses would be served consecutively with other offenses. These changes are expected to reduce the 1,331 violent parolees statewide that the Pennsylvania Parole Board cannot locate.

Smoking Ban Signed Into Law

The governor has signed legislation that establishes a ban on smoking in many workplaces and public venues. Supporters of a smoking ban say the bill is watered down by too many exceptions, but they believed it was the best compromise they could achieve at this time. Opponents felt the measure went too far in regulating smoking policies in privately owned businesses. Portions of the state's casinos, hotels and some bars and private clubs are exempt from the ban. The legislation will take effect in 90 days.