SB 995, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Bradford) would require operators of new and existing oil and gas wells to provide GPS information to counties and emergency responders and develop response plans for accidents and spills. The bill was approved on final passage in the Senate this week and is headed to the Governor’s desk.

The House and Senate both returned to Harrisburg on Tuesday, attempting to tie up several loose ends prior to the start of budget season, which officially kicks off on February 7 with the Governor’s Budget Address.

The House Consumer Affairs Committee held a hearing on House Bill 1580 last week. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Ross (R-Chester) amends the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, temporarily increasing solar Tier One requirements and limiting the credits to in-state solar companies that directly distribute solar generated electricity to an in-state distribution system, closing […]

The annual budget hearings begin the week following Corbett’s budget address. Budget hearings of interest are available here:

Monday, Feb. 13
Senate Appropriations

• 9:30 a.m., Budget Hearing – Governor’s Budget Office/Executive Offices/Office of the Governor
• 1:00 p.m., Budget Hearing – Independent Fiscal Office: Economic Outlook and Revenue Overview

Tuesday, Feb. 14
Senate Appropriations

• 1:00 p.m., Budget Hearing – […]
  MORE »

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority and the Department of Environmental Protection have announced plans to host an auction March 21, 2012, for the sale and purchase of nutrient credits in the Susquehanna and Potomac watersheds. 

The auction will be a “forward” auction, where certified credits will be sold at auction, delivered later and applied to 2012 and future […]

This week, Senate Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) said he wants the House and Senate to come to an agreement on the Marcellus Shale drilling policy prior to Governor Corbett’s budget address which is slated for early February.

The legislature returns to the Capitol on Jan. 17, which allows just two weeks for an agreement to […]

The House and Senate officially kicked off the 2012 Session on Tuesday, but will not meet in voting session until the week of January 17. Senator Joe Scarnati was unanimously re-elected President Pro Tempore of the Senate. All other officers in the House and Senate remain unchanged until leadership elections are held following general election in […]

The Senate narrowly passed its Congressional Redistricting plan by a vote of 26-24, sending the bill to the House where it ultimately passed by a bipartisan vote of 136-61.

Corbett signed the bill into law yesterday, as Act 130 of 2011. Just in time for congressional candidates to start circulating petitions on January 24.

Click here to […]

The House this week unanimously voted to reject the Senate amendments to House Bill 1950, the House Republican natural gas plan that was gutted in the Senate last week, and replaced with Senate Republican language of Senate Bill 1100.

With no bill actively in play, negotiations among the House, Senate and Governor Corbett will continue. The […]

Budget Secretary Zogby this week gave a mid-year budget briefing, saying the state needs to not only prepare for an expected revenue shortfall of at least $500 million this fiscal year, but also a projected $800 million in mandatory state spending increases for the coming fiscal year.

Zogby went on to say that the Governor must […]