By Dick Miller
WE.CONNECT.DOTS: The Pennsylvania legislature has a full plate of business to get through in these waning days of their two-year session.
Including themselves, there are many special interests to be served and so little time.
Both chambers of the state legislature return to Harrisburg for very short pre-election sessions, after eight-week summer vacations.
The current two-year session expires November 30. Any bill not passing both chambers by then must be re-introduced in the next session.
The following subjects remain on their agenda with very little time remaining.
PENSION SHORTAGES – By some estimates both state pension programs (for school teachers and all state employees) are about $60 billion unfunded. Employees have always put their share into the pot, but states and school districts come up short, year after year.
The state legislature is responsible for these shortages. Alternatives would have required tax increases or cuts in other programs.
Leadership of both political parties kicked the can down the road. The state is obligated to honor existing defined benefit contracts with workers.
But there is a rub in reducing pensions for new hires. Each lawmaker must be treated as a new hire at the expiration of his(her) current term and beginning of a new one due to re-election.
If this was not an issue, the pension shortage would have been resolved moons ago.
PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING – A special commission comprised of mostly state senate and house members spent almost two years working to equalize funding. Eventually, they announced a solution that could have been realized in five minutes. Henceforth, all new state funds appropriated to public school districts may only be appropriated to erase the imbalance.
This procedure works, except that it will take 25 years to fully meet this mandate. This is based on the present rate of new appropriations made to public education funding.
This time the Courts may be salvation to the lawmakers. Recently the State Supreme Court heard arguments that such inequities are contrary to the state constitution. The Supremes could rule the state must correct this imbalance sooner than later. Then when forced to raise taxes, lawmakers can blame the black robes.
BALANCED BUDGET – Both Gov. Tom Wolf and the GOP-led legislature gloated over the rapidity of the current budget settlement. However, this financial document is woefully out of balance – as much as $150 million some say. Insufficient revenues to pay for programs is not unusual in the “Alice in Wonderland” environment of Harrisburg,
Lawmakers have neither the resolve to raise taxes further or cut more programs. The solution during last fiscal year – deemed as that epic period when no formal budget was ever passed – may be the end-all again.
Gov. Wolf can juggle programs and funds – state constitution or legislative oversight be damned. He broke rules enough times in last fiscal year to be impeached. Republicans fear, however, that by challenging Wolf, they will have to make their own controversial decisions.
EXTEND LIMITATIONS IN CHILD MOLESTATION CASES — Lawmakers are giddy over popularity associated with allowing alleged victims to go back a half-century and more to sue priests (mostly now dead and all without financial resources) and/or the Catholic Church (which has untold wealth).
The Supreme Court will likely rule this legislation unconstitutional. By then, lawmakers will have cashed in with voter support.
NRA WANTS MORE GUNS – Hopefully lawmakers can get this third attempt to grovel at the feet of the National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers correct. In the current hopper is legislation that would give groups like the NRA stronger standing to sue local municipalities. The first two attempts were struck down by appellate courts.
Pittsburgh is one city counting on lawmakers to reject such a law. This would contribute to the city’s program to take illegal guns off the streets. So much for reducing murders in urban areas.
OPIOID CONTROLS – Will PA Lawmakers bow to Big Pharma or make attempts to reduce drug overdoses? Wolf wants the state to tighten reigns over drug companies and doctors who have been unable to control these habit-forming concoctions on their own.
By selling out to both gun and pill manufacturers, PA lawmakers can legislate their own form of population control.
Bottom Line – Rolling Stone Magazine this month describes the 1999-2006 TV series “West Wing” as follows:
How the political future would look if the Democrats had more courage, and/or the Republicans had a principle or two.
If you know of any “West Wing” moments in Harrisburg, let us know.
