Heard On The Hill And City Hall

SABATINA’S JUSTICE-REINVESTMENT INITIATIVE NOW LAW

State Rep. John Sabatina (D-Northeast) celebrated the Governor’s signing into law his Justice Reinvestment Initiative bill.

HB 135 authorizes the reinvestment of 25% of the savings under the recently enacted prison-reform law to programs that would further help public-safety efforts and lower rates of recidivism. Out of 171 House bills signed in to law this session, the measure was one of 13 Democratic initiatives signed in to law. “I am anxious to see counties and other state agencies receive funding for vital victim programs, county rehabilitation programs and other necessary components, including funding probation and parole operations at the county and state levels,” Sabatina said.

The measure reinvests funds to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, State Dept. of Corrections and the Board of Probation & Parole. Funds will be used for grants for innovative policing and county probation improvement; streamlining parole processes; implementing contracts with counties for minimum offenders; and implementing safe community reentry programs.

PCCD has been granted $1 million for a statewide victim-notification system, victim-service data collection and programs for victims of juvenile offenders.

The law also makes a number of changes in the way the PCCD conducts its business, including allowing the Attorney General, General Assembly members and judges to appoint temporary replacements for the statutorily defined members, permit the appointment of advisory committees, and enhance and define roles of the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Committee and the Targeted Community Revitalization and Crime Prevention Advisory Committee.

Sabatina, who represents 174th Legislative Dist., said the PCCD is potentially one of the Commonwealth’s most-valuable assets in reducing and preventing crime.

METHADONE ABUSE SEES A NEW CRACKDOWN

A measure that would help Pennsylvania combat the growing epidemic of methadone abuse was signed into law bringing positive comment from one of its supporters, State Sen. Mike Stack (D-Northeast).

The new law creates a Methadone Death & Incident Review Team within the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health. This team will be responsible for conducting reviews for all deaths where methadone was either a primary or secondary cause of death and will develop best practices to prevent future methadone-related deaths. Stack authored a similar bill, SB 895. He noted, “Methadone use and abuse is a growing problem across this country, and communities in Pennsylvania are not immune to the impact of this drug on users and everyone around them.”

Stack noted ethadone use has exploded across this country over the last 15 years. Deaths from methadone overdose have increased sixfold between 1999 and 2009, and nearly one-third of prescription painkiller overdose deaths involve this drug, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

BALLOONS released by each survivor signaled new life after domestic violence as State Sen. LeAnna Washington, right, and singer Kathy Sledge encourage them. Photo by Leona Dixon

WASHINGTON, HUGHES LAUD SETTLEMENT

State Sens. LeAnna Washington (D-Northwest) and Vincent Hughes (D-W. Phila.) expressed support of a settlement between the Pennsylvania Dept. of Public Welfare and Philadelphia’s Community Legal Services that could potentially reinstate the Medicaid benefits for tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians.

They see the DPW settlement reinstating Medicaid benefits for tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians, including 89,000 children.

COUNCILWOMAN REYNOLDS BROWN WINS A.T.V. BATTLE

City Council passed a bill introduced by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown on behalf of the Nutter Administration related to All Terrain Vehicles.

The bill restricts riders from operating, parking, stopping, placing or standing ATVs on a public sidewalk or public property including parks and recreation centers unless authorized by law. The bill gives the Philadelphia Police Dept. the authority to confiscate vehicles found to be in violation of the ordinance. Alternatively, Police can issue a $2,000 fine if riders can prove the value of the vehicle is in excess of $2,000. The bill gives authority to the Police Dept. to dispose of ATVs, either by destruction or in a manner that prevents vehicles from easily making their way back to Philadelphia streets.

BIRTHDAY wishes are acknowledged by State Sen. Vincent Hughes and lovely wife Sheryl Lee Ralph at lavish party at World Café Live. Photo by Leona Dixon

The bill was amended from its original form to allow a community-education campaign to advise ATV owners and riders of the new law. An amendment also provides an exception for ATV owners who park the vehicles outside their property.

Councilwoman Reynolds Brown has worked with the Administration, Police Dept., the Philadelphia Parking Authority, community organizations, private-sector business owners and citizens on all sides of the issue – all of whom were in attendance at a four-hour public hearing on Oct. 3.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 521 deaths have been recorded in Philadelphia from 1982-2010 as a result of ATVs; from 1982-2006, 105 deaths were of children under the age of 16.

SEN. WILLIAMS’ BILL OKAYS A.V.I. FOR CITY

State Sen. Anthony H. Williams’ (D-W. Phila.) bill, to allow the Nutter administration’s Actual Value Initiative (AVI) property tax reassessment plan to move forward, is now law.

The new law includes language from a bill Williams authored that suspends the state-established millage rate to give the City control to set its own rate. It also allows a limited exception to City Council to lower or adjust the city-established portion of the of the school-district tax rate for three years – the initial AVI year and two years after that. The actions will correspond with the anticipated significant increase in property-tax assessments in 2013.

“This law represents a major step toward overhauling the City’s outdated and often inaccurate property-tax system,” said Williams. “When assessing the real need for this, and understanding the hurdles that had to be cleared here in Harrisburg, I made it a priority to deliver this. Enacted properly, AVI will give property owners a more accurate picture of their property’s market value and even provide them with much-needed tax relief.”

RECYCLING BINS AVAILABLE AT CRUZ’S OFFICE

State Rep. Angel Cruz (D-Kensington) has recycling bins and reusable shopping bags available for pick up in his constituent service office, located at 3503 N. B Street (Corner of B & Tioga Streets), Unit 7. Cruz said the items are being provided for free to residents of the 180th Legislative Dist. To receive the items, residents will be asked to verify that they live in the district.

GOODE BILL INVESTS MORE FOR JOBS

City Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr. has introduced the Job Creation Cap Expansion Bill, which would double the amount of total available credits for new-job creation.

The bill would increase the program cap to 2% of all revenues collected through those business taxes. Presently, the total amount of tax credits available in any year for commitment currently does not exceed 1% of all revenues collected by the City through the gross receipts and net income components of the business income and receipts tax during the previous tax year, which is approximately $4 million.

The legislation enhances an employment-stimulus program under which a credit against the City’s business taxes is given to businesses that create new jobs within the City of Philadelphia. The businesses receive a $5,000 credit for each new job created for tax years 2012 and 2013. The original tax credit was $1,000 for each new job created when the “1%” program cap was established.

From the inception of the program in 2003 through the end of 2011, 109 businesses have applied to participate in the program; 81 firms were approved for participation in the program, promising the creation of 5,235 jobs. Though 2011, 1,047 jobs had been verified as new-job creation, resulting in the issuance of $1,661,890 in tax certificates, of which $1,526,408 has been claimed. In 2012, since the $5,000 credit was established through Bill 120012 sponsored by Goode, at least 10 companies have already applied for the new credit with the promise of over 550 jobs.

COUNCILMAN KENNEY FINDS CITY’S INVESTING WAS COSTLY

Costly Councilman James Kenney finally was able to bring to light what he had long suspected: The City’s financial-investment strategies cost the taxpayers millions.

Testimony before his Committee revealed a complex financial strategy, supposedly designed to save Philadelphia money on bonds sold to investors in the mid-2000s, could end up costing the City $186 million, compared with what issuing simple fixed-rate bonds would have cost. This fact was given to the committee by City Treasurer Nancy Winkler.

The City arranged interest-rate swaps with Wall Street banks in exchange for up-front cash and to protect taxpayers from the risk of rising interest rates. Instead, the City found itself owing millions to the banks and its clients when interest rates fell, bond insurers failed, and financial markets froze in the crisis of 2008. Some swaps contracts lacked cancellation clauses, boosting the City’s costs.

Kenney and his Council Committee members heard from Winkler “the City’s prior swaps advisers, the principals, were convicted and are mostly either in prison or awaiting sentence.” Winkler had referred to CDR Financial Products Inc., a Beverly Hills-based firm, and its founder, David Rubin, who pleaded guilty to federal fraud and conspiracy charges last winter after being charged with criminal bid-rigging by prosecutors in New York.

WATERS’ L.I.H.E.A.P. BILL BRINGS RELIEF TO MANY

A bill that State Rep. Ronald G. Waters (D-W. Phila.) and co-authored with State Rep. Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster), HB 1991, is now law and implements fraud-detection and -prevention mechanisms for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance & Weatherization Assistance programs.

“This was an important piece of legislation put together in a nonpartisan way, and I am happy to see the Governor sign it into law,” Waters said.

The new law expands the House’s effort to reform Pennsylvania’s welfare system. It strengthens fraud reporting measures, expands whistleblower protections and requires the use of the Income Eligibility Verification System to determine the eligibility of applicants for these weather-related programs. In addition, the law requires periodic performance audits by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Auditor General to ensure funds are being properly handled and disbursed.

LIHEAP helps limited-income families pay their heating bills through home energy-assistance grants and crisis grants. Cash grants are awarded based on household income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. A family of four with an annual income of up to $33,525 can qualify for assistance.

Waters said he is 100% behind the existence of LIHEAP, but added that his goal in authoring the legislation was to protect the integrity of the program and others like it. “As a state legislator, I have always supported public programs that provide assistance to the thousands of hardworking families in Pennsylvania who, despite their efforts, struggle to make ends meet,” Waters said. “Part of ensuring that families continue to receive the help they need is making sure that the programs created to help are not diluted by fraudulent claims. This legislation helps to ensure assistance is being directed only to those individuals who truly need it,” Waters said.

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