COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Er 1athir j nurrnd WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2010 SESSION OF 2010 194TH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY No. 31 SENATE WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2010 The Senate met at 11 a.m., Eastern Daylight Saving Time. The PRESIDENT (Lieutenant Governor Joseph B. Scarnati III) in the Chair. IB:7:S'/Dt:1 The Chaplain, Reverend JOHN A. SZADA, Jr., of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Hanover, offered the following prayer: The prayer that I will offer today is an excerpt from the prayer written by Bishop John Carroll, the first Catholic Bishop of the United States and the brother of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Let us pray. We pray Thee, 0 God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through Whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy holy spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of the United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty. We pray for His Excellency, the Governor of this State, for. the Members of this Assembly--for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they maybe enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability. We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens--of this Commonwealth and--throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world can not give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal...amen. The PRESIDENT. The Chair thanks Father Szada, who is the guest today of Senator Waugh. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those assembled.) HOUSE MESSAGES HOUSE CONCURS IN SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL The Clerk of the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House has concurred in amendments made by the Senate to House amendments to SB 383. HOUSE CONCURS IN SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL The Clerk of the House of Representatives informed the Senate that the House has concurred in amendments made by the Senate to HB 1041. BILLS INTRODUCED AND REFERRED The PRESIDENT laid before the Senate the following Senate Bills numbered, entitled, and referred as follows, which were read by the Clerk: May 26, 2010 Senators STACK, RAFFERTY, FONTANA, M. WHITE, D. WHITE, ALLOWAY, GREENLEAF, O'PAKE, EICHELBERGER and WARD presented to the Chair SB 1294, entitled: An Act providing for requirements for methadone use by narcotic treatment programs, for reducing methadone diversion, for reducing methadone-related accidents and deaths and for duties of the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs in the Department of Health. Which was committed to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, May 26, 2010. Senators MUSTO, M. WHITE, SCARNATI, FONTANA, O'PAKE, RAFFERTY, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, FERLO, COSTA, ARGALL, FARNESE, WASHINGTON, STACK, BOSCOLA, BAKER, YAW, D. WHITE, VOGEL and MEL- LOW presented to the Chair SB 1379, entitled: An Act amending the act of July 28, 1988 (P.L.556, No.101), known as the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, in recycling and waste reduction, further providing for recycling at educational institutions. Which was committed to the Committee on ENVIRON- MENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, May 26, 2010. Senators TARTAGLIONE, FONTANA, COSTA, MUSTO, O'PAKE, WASHINGTON, BOSCOLA, HUGHES and FERLO presented to the Chair SB 1381, entitled: An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, further providing for the definitions of "taxable income" and "taxable year"; providing for the definitions of "tax haven," "unitary business," "water's-edge basis," "commonly
2094 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE MAY 26, controlled group" and "separate company"; and further providing for imposition of tax, for reports and payment of tax, for consolidated reports and for underpayment of estimated tax. Which was committed to the Committee on FINANCE, May 26, 2010. Senators WARD, D. WHITE, EICHELBERGER, STACK, VOGEL, ORIE, WAUGH, WOZNIAK, MENSCH and BOSCOLA presented to the Chair SB 1382, entitled: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, in public assistance, further providing for definitions; and in public assistance, providing for payment conditions for methadone treatment. Which was committed to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, May 26, 2010. Senators WARD, EICHELBERGER, STACK, VOGEL, D. WHITE, ORIE, WAUGH, WOZNIAK, MENSCH and BOSCOLA presented to the Chair SB 1383, entitled: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, in public assistance, further providing for definitions; and, in public assistance, providing for mileage reimbursement for individuals receiving methadone treatment. Which was committed to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, May 26, 2010. Senators FERLO, LOGAN, COSTA, FONTANA, O'PAKE, BOSCOLA, TARTAGLIONE, WILLIAMS, STOUT, WOZNIAK, EARLL, STACK and WARD presented to the Chair SB 1384, entitled: An Act amending the act of June 27, 2006 (1st Sp.Sess., P.L.1873, No.1), known as the Taxpayer Relief Act, further providing for homestead and farmstead exclusions. Which was committed to the Committee on FINANCE, May 26, 2010. Senators KITCHEN, COSTA, DINNIMAN, ORIE, FONTANA, RAFFERTY, TARTAGLIONE, PILEGGI, GREENLEAF, FOLMER, O'PAKE, FARNESE and BOSCOLA presented to the Chair SB 1385, entitled: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in certification of teachers, further providing for certificates qualifying persons to teach and for kinds of State certificates. Which was committed to the Committee on EDUCATION, May 26, 2010. Senators D. WHITE, STACK, ORIE, WAUGH, O'PAKE, MENSCH, EARLL and M. WHITE presented to the Chair SB 1386, entitled: An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.789, No.285), known as The Insurance Department Act of 1921, further providing for definitions. Which was committed to the Committee on BANKING AND INSURANCE, May 26, 2010. Senators LOGAN, STACK, FONTANA, WASHINGTON, BOSCOLA, MELLOW, WARD, TARTAGLIONE, ERICKSON, ORIE, COSTA, EARLL, RAFFERTY, MUSTO, KASUNIC and FARNESE presented to the Chair SB 1387, entitled: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for statutes of limitations for certain offenses. Which was committed to the Committee on JUDICIARY, May 26, 2010. RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED AND REFERRED The PRESIDENT laid before the Senate the following Senate Resolutions numbered, entitled, and referred as follows, which were read by the Clerk: Ma y 26, 2010 Senators BRUBAKER, ALLOWAY, O'PAKE, PIPPY, TARTAGLIONE, FONTANA, ERICKSON, GREENLEAF, DINNIMAN, ARGALL, RAFFERTY, EICHELBERGER, WASHINGTON, STACK, D. WHITE, MENSCH, EARLL and BOSCOLA presented to the Chair SR 347, entitled: A Resolution recognizing the importance of international commerce in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Which was committed to the Committee on COMMU- NITY, ECONOMIC AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOP- MENT, May 26, 2010. Senators WARD, VOGEL, D. WHITE, EARLL, M. WHITE, YAW, ORIE, KASUNIC, ALLOWAY, BOSCOLA, WASHINGTON, WOZNIAK, WAUGH, GREENLEAF, MENSCH and FERLO presented to the Chair SR 348, entitled: A Resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a performance audit of Pennsylvania's methadone treatment programs and the medical assistance transportation program. Which was committed to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, May 26, 2010. BILLS SIGNED The PRESIDENT (Lieutenant Governor Joseph B. Scarnati III) in the presence of the Senate signed the following bills: SB 383 and HB 1041. BILL REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE Senator EARLL, from the Committee on Community, Economic and Recreational Development, reported the following bill: SB 831 (Pr. No. 2005) (Amended) An Act amending Title 4 (Amusements) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in licensees, further providing for Category 2 slot machine license and for number of slot machine licenses. LEGISLATIVE LEAVES from Delaware, Senator Pileggi. Senator PILEGGI. Mr. President, I request a temporary Capitol leave for Senator Mensch.
2010 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE 2095 from Berks, Senator O'Pake. Senator O'PAKE. Mr. President, I request legislative leaves for Senator Mellow, Senator Musto, and Senator Washington. The PRESIDENT. Senator Pileggi requests a temporary Capitol leave for Senator Mensch. Senator O'Pake requests legislative leaves for Senator Mellow, Senator Musto, and Senator Washington. Without objection, the leaves will be granted. LEAVES OF ABSENCE Senator O'PAKE asked and obtained leaves of absence for Senator LEACH, Senator LOGAN, and Senator TARTAGLIONE, for today's Session, for personal reasons. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS JOURNAL APPROVED The PRESIDENT. The Journal of the Session of April 14, 2010, is now in print. The Clerk proceeded to read the Journal of the Session of April 14, 2010. Senator PILEGGI. Mr. President, I move that further reading of the Journal be dispensed with and that the Journal be approved. Will the Senate agree to the motion? The yeas and nays were required by Senator PILEGGI and were as follows, viz: YEA-47 Alloway Farnese Musto Tomlinson Argall Ferlo O'Pake Vance Baker Folmer One Vogel Boscola Fontana Piccola Ward Browne Gordner Pileggi Washington Brubaker Greenleaf Pippy Waugh Corman Hughes Rafferty White, Donald Costa Kasunic Robbins White, Mary Jo Dinniman Kitchen Scarnati Williams Earil Mcllhinney Smucker Wozniak Eichelberger Mellow Stack Yaw Erickson Mensch Stout NAY-0 A majority of the Senators having voted "aye," the question was determined in the affirmative. The PRESIDENT. The Journal is approved. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS GUESTS OF SENATOR KIM L. WARD PRESENTED TO THE SENATE The PRESIDENT. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Westmoreland, Senator Ward. Senator WARD. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure today that I introduce the Greater Latrobe Senior High School Hockey Team. They are here today with their coach, Dan Ridder. This is the third year in a row that this program has produced a State championship. I am a hockey mom, and I know how hard they have worked, how much their families have sacrificed, and the commitment it takes from the coaches to achieve such a feat. We are all from southwestern Pennsylvania, where, if any of you watched the movie "Slap Shot," we know about the Hanson brothers, but more importantly, because of our beloved Penguins, ice hockey is now on par with football in our area. So these young men and their coaches are local heroes, an entity to be proud of not only in Latrobe but for all of us in southwestern Pennsylvania. And if you look at the colors of their jerseys from a distance, do not confuse us with Philadelphia Flyers fans. We are not. We are solid Penguins fans. So please join me in welcoming the Latrobe Ice Cats. The PRESIDENT. Would the guests of Senator Ward please rise to be welcomed by the Senate. Senator WARD. And I am going to remain here, because once again, I have the pleasure of introducing a State championship team from the district I serve. Today, the Hempfield Area High School Boys' Bowling Team is here with us. They won the State championship this year in a hard-fought battle. This team worked hard, and their commitment was unparalleled, under the guidance of their coach, Dave Montell. Also with them today is the Hempfield Area High School Girls' Bowling Team. These girls took first place last year in the State, and this year, they placed second under their coach, Larry Shively. I bowled with some of these young athletes a couple of weeks ago at a fundraiser for the Fort Allen Fire Department. Their skills were something I have only seen on TV. Most notably, since I mentioned "Slap Shot" with the hockey team, I need to mention "Kingpin." They bowl better than Munson any day of the week. I am so proud to have them here today, and please join me in welcoming the Hempfield Area High School bowlers. The PRESIDENT. Would the guests of Senator Ward please rise to be welcomed by the Senate. GUESTS OF SENATOR ELISABETH J. BAKER PRESENTED TO THE SENATE The PRESIDENT. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Luzerne, Senator Baker. Senator BAKER. Mr. President, it is an honor and privilege for me to introduce several students who are here with their advisor from the Lehman Intermediate School. They are participating in the Pennsylvania Association of Educational Communications and Technology Showcase in the East Wing. The students are Madison Burke, Ryan Krachie, Marc Krause, Monica Richardson, and Deidre Rowe, and their advisor is Caroline Agosto. Please join me in offering a special welcome to the students from the Lehman Intermediate School. The PRESIDENT. Would the guests of Senator Baker please rise to be welcomed by the Senate.
2096 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE MAY 26, GUESTS OF SENATOR MICHAEL BRUBAKER PRESENTED TO THE SENATE from Lancaster, Senator Brubaker. Senator BRUBAKER, Mr. President, it is a privilege for me to introduce some very special students who are in the gallery today. They are from Hempfield and Cocalico High Schools in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Among them are the founding members of a brand new organization called Aevidum, and I will be introducing a resolution regarding this later today on the floor. The founding members are Lauren Baxter, Caprice Hoevler, Maggie Cardin, Katie Bupp, Jacklin Anderson, and Ashley Smith. It was Maggie's brother, actually, who had committed suicide, Mr. President, years ago. Suicide, I am frightful to tell you, is the third largest cause of death among young people between the ages of 15 and 24. Totally unacceptable. The students, Mr. President, who are in the gallery today have made the commitment that enough is enough. They do not want any more of their friends to be entertaining the thought of suicide. So they formed a club, Mr. President, and the club says, essentially, I have got your back. I am going to be watching after you. If you need help, I want you to know that I want to help you. So we have very special students in the gallery, Mr. President, and I would love for them to be recognized. The PRESIDENT. Would the guests of Senator Brubaker please rise to be welcomed by the Senate. GUEST OF SENATOR MICHAEL L. WAUGH PRESENTED TO THE SENATE from York, Senator Waugh. Senator WAUGH. Mr. President, I would like to invite the Senators in attendance today to join me in welcoming a young man who is serving a 3-week internship out of our office in York for his senior project at York Country Day School in York City. His name is Drew Kuhl, he is in the balcony here, and he is a senior at York Country Day, as I said. He is graduating in June. He resides in New Freedom Borough, which is in the southern area of York County. Some of his activities at York Country Day include presiding as president of student council. He is also active with the tae kwon do club, and he serves with the Model United Nations organization there. He has already completed several classes through a joint program with York Country Day and York College, and he looks forward to continuing his college career there at York College in the fall. We certainly wish him the very best, Mr. Drew Kuhl, who is serving as an intern in our office. We welcome you. The PRESIDENT. Would the guest of Senator Waugh please rise to be welcomed by the Senate. GUESTS OF SENATOR STEWART GREENLEAF AND SENATOR JOHN C. RAFFERTY PRESENTED TO THE SENATE from Montgomery, Senator Greenleaf. Senator GREENLEAF. Mr. President, it is a wonderful day to be here and to see our young people from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and all of their accomplishments - athletic accomplishments, educational accomplishments, and civic activities. Today, I have the very distinct pleasure of introducing a group of young men and women who have obtained a tremendous award, and that is an international award in robotics. I would like to introduce to the Senate the Wissahickon High School robotics team from Ambler, Pennsylvania, with their head coach, Alan Ostrow, and regional director, Carol Kauffman. The team was awarded the International Chairman's Award at the FIRST Robotics World Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 17. It is an international award. FIRST is an acronym meaning "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology." The International Chairman's Award is FIRST's highest honor. Wissahickon was selected from over 1,800 teams around the world by a panel of judges which included CEOs, astronauts, and inventors. The team will now be permanently entered into the FIRST Hall of Fame, along with 13 other teams worldwide. On their way to winning the Chairman's Award, they first put their robot, Miss Daisy, to the test at the New York City Regional Competition in March. At that event, they earned their first-ever number-one seed. Additionally, they won the Website and Entrepreneurship Awards. Next up was the Philadelphia Regional Competition. At that event, they claimed the title Regional Champion, along with Best Website and Coopertition Awards. And then the final step was the International Championship in Atlanta that brought together hundreds of the best teams from 30 countries. It was then learned that the team had won the International Chairman's Award. I would like to congratulate--along with Senator Rafferty, who is on the floor as well, who represents part of this district--i would like to congratulate the Wissahickon High School robotics team and their coach, Mr. Ostrow, for their many outstanding achievements, and also FIRST regional director Carol Kauffman for her extraordinary work with high school students all across Pennsylvania and for interesting them in science and technology. Congratulations to all of you. Well done. We are very, very proud of you. Thank you very much. from Montgomery, Senator Rafferty. Senator RAFFERTY. Mr. President, I join with my friend and colleague, Senator Greenleaf, in congratulating the team. We are very proud of their accomplishments, as we know all of southeast Pennsylvania is as well, and Wissahickon continues to be one of the shining public school districts within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and this adds to that luster. So congratulations to each and every one of you, and I join with Senator Greenleaf as well, and I yield to Senator Greenleaf. Thank you, Mr. President. from Montgomery, Senator Greenleaf. Senator GREENLEAF. Mr. President, I ask that the Senate recognize these young men and women and that we congratulate them on their outstanding accomplishment.
2010 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE 2097 The PRESIDENT. Would the guests of Senator Greenleaf and Senator Rafferty please rise to be welcomed by the Senate. from Montgomery, Senator Rafferty. Senator RAFFERTY. Mr. President, I might add, in light of the comments made earlier, that this team, they are fans of the Philadelphia Flyers. The PRESIDENT. The Chair thanks the gentleman. CALENDAR BILL ON CONCURRENCE IN HOUSE AMENDMENTS AS AMENDED SENATE CONCURS IN HOUSE AMENDMENTS AS AMENDED SB 441 (Pr. No. 2002) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school districts, further providing for State report card; providing for value-added assessment system and for school report card; in certification of teachers, further providing for certificates qualifying persons to teach and for kinds of State certificates; providing for postbaccalaureate certification; further providing for disqualifications relating to teacher's certificate; in school health services, providing for medical examinations of teachers and other persons; and, in education empowerment, further providing for boards of control in certain school districts and for expiration. Will the Senate concur in the amendments made by the House, as further amended by the Senate, to Senate Bill No. 441? Senator PILEGGI. Mr. President, I move that the Senate do concur in the amendments made by the House, as further amended by the Senate, to Senate Bill No. 441. Will the Senate agree to the motion? The yeas and nays were required by Senator PILEGGI and were as follows, viz: YEA-47 Alloway Farnese Musto Tomlinson Argall Ferlo O'Pake Vance Baker Folmer One Vogel Boscola Fontana Piccola Ward Browne Gordner Pileggi Washington Brubaker Greenleaf Pippy Waugh Corman Hughes Rafferty White, Donald Costa Kasunic Robbins White, Mary Jo Dinniman Kitchen Scarnati Williams Earll McIlhinney Smucker Wozniak Eichelberger Mellow Stack Yaw Erickson Mensch Stout NAY-0 A constitutional majority of all the Senators having voted "aye," the question was determined in the affirmative. Ordered, That the Secretary of the Senate inform the House of Representatives accordingly. BILL ON CONCURRENCE IN HOUSE AMENDMENTS BILL OVER IN ORDER SB 260 -- Without objection, the bill was passed over in its order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. THIRD CONSIDERATION CALENDAR BILL OVER IN ORDER HB 115 -- Without objection, the bill was passed over in its order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. BILLS ON THIRD CONSIDERATION AND FINAL PASSAGE SB 918 (Pr. No. 2000) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, consolidating and amending the Third Class County Assessment Board Law, The Fourth to Eighth Class and Selective County Assessment Law and provisions of The County Code relating to auxiliary board of assessment appeals and assessment of signs and sign structures; providing for municipal pensions in cities of the second class; and making related repeals. Considered the third time and agreed to, And the amendments made thereto having been printed as required by the Constitution, Shall the bill pass finally? The yeas and nays were taken agreeably to the provisions of the Constitution and were as follows, viz: YEA-47 Alloway Farnese Musto Tomlinson Argall Ferlo O'Pake Vance Baker Folmer One Vogel Boscola Fontana Piccola Ward Browne Gordner Pileggi Washington Brubaker Greenleaf Pippy Waugh Corman Hughes Rafferty White, Donald Costa Kasunic Robbins White, Mary Jo Dinniman Kitchen Scarnati Williams Earll McIlhinney Smucker Wozniak Eichelberger Mellow Stack Yaw Erickson Mensch Stout NAY-0 A constitutional majority of all the Senators having voted "aye," the question was determined in the affirmative. Ordered, That the Secretary of the Senate present said bill to the House of Representatives for concurrence.
2098 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE MAY 26, SB 1011 (Pr. No. 2001) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school districts, further providing for State report card; providing for value-added assessment system and for school report card; in certification of teachers, further providing for certificates qualifying persons to teach and for kinds of State certificates; providing for postbaccal aureate certification; further providing for disqualifications relating to teacher's certificate; in school health services, providing for medical examinations of teachers and other persons; and, in education empowerment, further providing for boards of control in certain school districts and for expiration. Considered the third time and agreed to, And the amendments made thereto having been printed as required by the Constitution, Shall the bill pass finally? The yeas and nays were taken agreeably to the provisions of the Constitution and were as follows, viz: YEA-46 Alloway Farnese O'Pake Vance Argall Ferlo One Vogel Baker Fontana Piccola Ward Boscola Gordner Pileggi Washington Browne Greenleaf Pippy Waugh Brubaker Hughes Rafferty White, Donald Corman Kasunic Robbins White, Mary Jo Costa Kitchen Scarnati Williams Dinniman Mcllhinney Smucker Wozniak Earll Mellow Stack Yaw Eichelberger Mensch Stout Erickson Musto Tomlinson Shall the bill pass finally? The yeas and nays were taken agreeably to the provisions of the Constitution and were as follows, viz: YEA-47 Alloway Farnese Musto Tomlinson Argall Ferlo O'Pake Vance Baker Folmer One Vogel Boscola Fontana Piccola Ward Browne Gordner Pileggi Washington Brubaker Greenleaf Pippy Waugh Corman Hughes Rafferty White, Donald Costa Kasunic Robbins White, Mary Jo Dinniman Kitchen Scarnati Williams Earll McIlhinney Smucker Wozniak Eichelberger Mellow Stack Yaw Erickson Mensch Stout NAY-0 A constitutional majority of all the Senators having voted "aye," the question was determined in the affirmative. Ordered, That the Secretary of the Senate return said bill to the House of Representatives with information that the Senate has passed the same with amendments in which concurrence of the House is requested. BILL OVER IN ORDER HB 2070 -- Without objection, the bill was passed over in its order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. SECOND CONSIDERATION CALENDAR Folmer NAY-1 BILLS ON SECOND CONSIDERATION REREPORTED FROM COMMITTEE AS AMENDED OVER IN ORDER A constitutional majority of all the Senators having voted "aye," the question was determined in the affirmative. Ordered, That the Secretary of the Senate present said bill to the House of Representatives for concurrence. BILL OVER IN ORDER HB 1300 -- Without objection, the bill was passed over in its order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. BILL ON THIRD CONSIDERATION AND FINAL PASSAGE HB 1720 (Pr. No. 3373) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in theft and related offenses, providing for the offense of organized retail theft. Considered the third time and agreed to, And the amendments made thereto having been printed as required by the Constitution, HB 47 and SB 1250 -- Without objection, the bills were passed over in their order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. BILLS LAID ON THE TABLE HB 9 (Pr. No. 3517) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending the act of July 2, 1984 (P.L.561, No.112), known as the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps Act, further providing for supervisors and for expiration. HB 90 (Pr. No. 82) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for prevention of abduction of children.
2010 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE 2099 BILLS OVER IN ORDER HB 117, HB 264, SB 291, SB 351, SB 384 and HB 666 -- Without objection, the bills were passed over in their order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. BILL LAID ON THE TABLE SB 672 (Pr. No. 1845) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending the act of December 22, 1983 (P.L.303, No.83), referred to as the Animal Destruction Method Authorization Law, further providing for prohibited means of destroying animals, for exclusions, for use of carbon monoxide systems and for use of drugs by humane societies and animal shelters; providing for enforcement; and further providing for penalties. BILL REREFERRED HB 687 (Pr. No. 760) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 62 (Procurement) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in guaranteed energy savings contracts, further providing for definitions, for contracting procedures and for contract provisions. vote, the bill was rereferred to the Committee on Appropriations. BILL OVER IN ORDER SB 699 -- Without objection, the bill was passed over in its order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. BILL LAID ON THE TABLE SB 944 (Pr. No. 1129) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 15 (Corporations and Unincorporated Associations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, extensively regulating unincorporated nonprofit associations in the areas of organic nature, structure, formation, alteration, management, participation, functions, liability and dissolution. BILLS ON SECOND CONSIDERATION SB 1145 (Pr. No. 1522) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, further providing for adoption of guidelines for sentencing; and providing for adoption of risk and needs assessment instrument. Considered the second time and agreed to, Ordered, To be printed on the Calendar for third consideration. SB 1161 (Pr. No. 1538) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 61 (Penal and Correctional Institutions) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in inmate prerelease plans, providing for inmates serving short minimum sentences; and, in probation and parole, further providing for parole power. Considered the second time and agreed to, Ordered, To be printed on the Calendar for third consideration. BILL LAID ON THE TABLE SB 1184 (Pr. No. 1595) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in juvenile matters, further providing for disposition of dependent child. BILL REREFERRED HB 1187 (Pr. No. 3519) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 5 (Athletics and Sports) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for duties of State Athletic Commission; in regulation of boxing contests and exhibitions, further providing for age of participants, for gloves and for contracts; in wrestling, further providing for definitions and for physician to be in attendance; and, in registration of athlete agents, further providing for penalties and for bonding requirements. vote, the bill was rereferred to the Committee on Appropriations. BILL OVER IN ORDER SB 1192 -- Without objection, the bill was passed over in its order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. BILL LAID ON THE TABLE HB 1196 (Pr. No. 3518) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending the act of November 10, 1999 (P.L.491, No.45), known as the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, further providing for definitions and for administration and enforcement; and providing for applicability. BILLS OVER IN ORDER SB 1205 and SB 1248 -- Without objection, the bills were passed over in their order at the request of Senator PILEGGI.
2100 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE MAY 26, BILL LAID ON THE TABLE SB 1249 (Pr. No. 1706) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending the act of November 10, 1999 (P.L.491, No.45), known as the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, further providing for definitions and for applicability to certain buildings. BILL ON SECOND CONSIDERATION SB 1275 (Pr. No. 1764) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act amending Title 61 (Penal and Correctional Institutions) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, further providing for violation of terms of parole. Considered the second time and agreed to, Ordered, To be printed on the Calendar for third consideration. BILLS OVER IN ORDER SB 1297, SB 1314, SB 1318, SB 1340, SB 1360, SB 1366, SB 1367, SB 1368 and SB 1369 -- Without objection, the bills were passed over in their order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. BILL ON SECOND CONSIDERATION HB 1641 (Pr. No. 2886) -- The Senate proceeded to consideration An Act requiring a circulating nurse in certain operating rooms. Considered the second time and agreed to, Ordered, To be printed on the Calendar for third consideration. BILLS OVER IN ORDER HB 1789 and HB 1859 -- Without objection, the bills were passed over in their order at the request of Senator PILEGGI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS SENATE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED Senators BRUBAKER, ALLOWAY, FONTANA, O'PAKE, STOUT, DINNIMAN, ORIE, PILEGGI, FERLO, PIPPY, WASHINGTON, TARTAGLIONE, ERICKSON, GREENLEAF, WARD, STACK, LOGAN, D. WHITE, WIL- LIAMS and BOSCOLA, by unanimous consent, offered Senate Resolution No. 351, entitled: A Resolution designating the week of May 24 through 30, 2010, as "Aevidum, Pennsylvania! Week" in Pennsylvania. Will the Senate adopt the resolution? from Lancaster, Senator Brubaker. Senator BRUBAKER. Mr. President, I introduced the students who were in the gallery earlier, and I would now like to speak about the resolution. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 4,189 young people committed suicide in the year 2006 alone, making it the third-leading cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 24. After the suicide of a classmate in 2003, the students of Cocalico High School, located in Lancaster County, wanted to raise awareness about depression and suicide. As a result, the Aevidum organization was founded. The word "aevidum" was derived from the Latin word "vid," which means life. And from this derivative came the word "aevidum," meaning "I have your back." The message of Aevidum is to provide hope and assurance to those who are depressed, and ultimately to save lives. In 2009, Aevidum won both the Pennsylvania and National Activity of the Year awards. The students at Cocalico High School--and now Hempfield High School in Lancaster County--hope to have an Aevidum organization formed in every public and private high school and middle school across Pennsylvania. Additionally, they are hoping to get the word "aevidum" recognized in dictionaries. I ask my colleagues in the State Senate to vote in the affirmative on this resolution declaring the week of May 24 through 30, 2010, as "Aevidum, Pennsylvania! Week," but most importantly, Mr. President, I am asking my colleagues to strongly consider reaching out to me so I can forward contact information to them on this outstanding group. They would like every school across Pennsylvania to form an Aevidum club within their school and watch the numbers of depressed young people and those with suicidal tendencies drop dramatically. Thank you, Mr. President. And the question recurring, Will the Senate adopt the resolution? A voice vote having been taken, the question was determined in the affirmative. Senators KITCHEN and TARTAGLIONE, by unanimous consent, offered Senate Resolution No. 352, entitled: A Resolution recognizing June 2, 2010, as "Teddy Pendergrass Day" in Pennsylvania. Will the Senate adopt the resolution? The PRESIDENT. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Philadelphia, Senator Kitchen. Senator KITCHEN. Mr. President, I offer this resolution today on behalf of my colleague, Senator Tartaglione, and myself. Mr. President, I seek unanimous support of this resolution marking June 2 as "Teddy Pendergrass Day" in Pennsylvania to honor him for his artistic accomplishments and his work to better the lives of people living with disabilities.
2010 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE 2101 Theodore "Teddy" DeReese Pendergrass was born on March 26, 1950, in Philadelphia. He attended Edison High School and sang in the citywide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and the All-City Stetson Junior High School Choir. Teddy Pendergrass was the consummate artist and performer and, more importantly, a major contributor to the development of the "Philly Sound." He was a significant force and presence in the Rhythm and Blues genre of music as a drummer for Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, who sang the hit "If You Don't Know Me By Now," and eventually as a solo artist. At 22 years old, Teddy Pendergrass signed with Gamble and Huffs Philadelphia International Records label and became the first black, male singer to record five consecutive multi-platinum albums. He sang the charts-topping hits "I Do Not Love You Anymore," and "Life is a Song Worth Singing." After an automobile accident on March 18, 1982, left him paralyzed from the chest down, Teddy Pendergrass resolved to assist other people with disabilities. He established the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, which helps people with spinal cord injuries achieve independence and a positive quality of life. He also worked with Senator Tartaglione and me during the last year and a half of his life to establish Wheelchair City. He also partnered with the National Spinal Cord Injury Association and the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University. Teddy Pendergrass passed away this year on January 13 at the age of 59. He touched many lives with his dedication, love, and commitment to the service of others. So I ask my colleagues today to join me in honoring June 2, 2010, as "Teddy Pendergrass Day" in Pennsylvania. Thank you, Mr. President. And the question recurring, Will the Senate adopt the resolution? A voice vote having been taken, the question was determined in the affirmative. Senator TOMLINSON, by unanimous consent, offered Senate Resolution No. 353, entitled: A Resolution designating the month of May 2010 as "Chastity Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania. Which was read, considered, and adopted by voice vote CONGRATULATORY RESOLUTIONS The PRESIDENT laid before the Senate the following resolutions, which were read, considered, and adopted by voice vote: Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Major Kevin D. Potts, First Sergeant Robert Lee Koppenhaver, Second Lieutenant Heather L. Strouse, Staff Sergeant Scott Butler, Technical Sergeant Denise Olson, Dr. Buddy Touchinsky, Bill Kirwan, Jeanne Porter, Greg Kirkpatrick, Edward Petrich, Jonathan Petrich, Lee Becker, Jamie S. Kunkel, Marveline L. Costenbader, Randolph L. Gormley, Monroe Career and Technical Institute Hospitality Team, Child Development, Inc., of Minersville, Mrs. T's Pierogies of Shenandoah and to the First Presbyterian Church of Mahanoy City by Senator Argall. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to the Honorable Denise Reddon and to Nathan Charles Eskin by Senator Baker. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to the Puerto Rican Cultural Coalition of Bethlehem by Senator Boscola. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to the Reverend David Charles Newhart, Christopher Robert McCleary, Jeff Shaara, Kevin Alexander Tamerler and to Communication Systems, Inc., of Allentown, by Senator Browne. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to The Rider- Pool Foundation of Allentown by Senator Browne and others. Mrs. Paul Bennethum and to Don Sherlaw by Senator Brubaker. Mrs. David Breneman, Vincent L. Ramish, Nicholas J. Grasser, Thelma E. Plant, Dan Strazisar, Christa Newmaster, Jay Thomas Runkle, Francis Joseph Evanitsky, Courtney Mundt, Chris Arnold, Zach Hughes, Dustin Treaster, Joshua S. Snyder, John Rodgers and tojonathan D. Mechling by Senator Corman. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Glenys C. Waters and to Harriet Dichter by Senator Costa. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Chief Craig Peterson, Scott King Meltzer, Daniel Dougherty, David Shank, Andrew R. Simon, Gillian C. Wentzel, William Alfano, Elsie Britsch and to Troop 58 of the Boy Scouts of America by Senator Dinniman. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Erie by Senator Earll. Mrs. Paul Tomczyk and to Mr. and Mrs. David S. Madsen by Senator Erickson. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Zach Beatty and to Eric C. Tucci by Senator Folmer. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Pittsburgh Gathering of Peace Committee and to the citizens of the city of Pittsburgh by Senator Fontana. Mrs. Ronald Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Angus, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ball, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boguslaw, Collin Scott DeFacis, Daniel Phillip Wood IV, Andrew Lee Stamey and to David P. Barron by Senator Gordner. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Benjamin P. Sutherland, Erik A. Krueger, Andrew E. Nealis, John Joseph Larkin, William S. Crawford and to the Greenfield Foundation by Senator Greenleaf. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Troop 180 of the Boy Scouts of America of Dunbar by Senator Kasunic. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Valerie Hilliard, Mary McGovern and to Tiesha Thomas by Senator Kitchen. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Dr. Cleveland Steward, Jr., by Senator Logan. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Captain Sean B. Casey, Andrew Cotter, Brittany Bodnar, Ian Howard Tillotson, Gina Furia Rubel, Jesse Colby Johnson, Brian C. Sugrue, Marvin L. Woodall, Edward Giera, Kimberly Hirschman, Bucks County Conservation District and to Neshaminy Manor of Doylestown by Senator Mcllhinney. Mrs. Jack Fallenstein and to Rachel Mizanty by Senator Mellow.
2102 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE MAY 26, Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Francis C. O'Donnell, Jeana DePuy, James Ruane and to the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce by Senator Musto. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Jay and Sherry Sidhu, Jack D. Gulati, Alex Michael Steslow, Henrietta R. Vancoeur, Victoria Mollura, Peter P. Sunderman, Zachary S. Ricketts and to the Conrad Weiser Society, Children of the American Revolution, of Berks County, by Senator O'Pake. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Garrett Robert Shaw, Kevin Michael Reynolds, Jonathan W. Hyatt, Ralph E. Ussack, Andrew Thomas Goehring, Steven Andrew Cunningham, Samuel James Hattrup, Joshua Michael Kaib, Benjamin Lesniak, Marc Funderlich, P.J. Blinn and to Kevin Koleck by Senator Orie. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Kevin I. Bagatta by Senators One and Folmer. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to the Butler Area High School Boys' Tennis Team by Senators One and M.J. White Mrs. Evo Ionni by Senator Piccola. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Bryan Powell, Tyler James Nugent, Jordan Harry Livingston and to SCOTT Papermaking by Senator Pileggi. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to David L. Hostetter by Senators Rafferty, Piccola, and Greenleaf. Mrs. James E. Winner, Jr., Drew Magestro, Nathaniel Lemuel Parker, Martin James Anderson, Logan Charles Hinderliter, Beth Larson, Kayce M. Soros, Hannah Linamen, Lorrie Lehman, Century Chapter No. 100, Order of the Eastern Star, of Jamestown, and to Greenville Moose Family Center, Lodge 276, by Senator Robbins. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Damage Controlman First Class Gordan Buzard and to Goodwill Hose Company No. 5 of DuBois by Senator Scarnati. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Austin W. Mertz and to Christopher B. Novak by Senator Smucker. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to David Kaplan by Senator Stack. Mrs. Gilmore Stough and to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mazza by Senator Stout. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Dennis Eyre by Senator Tomlinson. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Dr. Gordon D. Myers, Angelo J. Sabia, Robert P. Regan, William Piccieilli, Leonard S. Pendzinski, Frederick L. Orris, Ottavio Martino, Leo T. McMahon, Jr., Ted Kelley, Robert J. Jones, Lawrence A. Hollister, Jack H. Dreibelbis, Kenneth P. Butler, Paul A. Bradigan, Andrew Patrick Quigley, Mark E. Phenicie and to Mario M. Ballera by Senator Vance. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to John Scott Challis, Jr., by Senator Vogel. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Lieutenant Colonel Gerald J. Griffin and to the students of the Germantown High School after-school program of Philadelphia by Senator Washington. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Mario L. Ricchiuto, York Jewish Community Center and to the citizens of the Borough of Glen Rock by Senator Waugh. Mrs. Jerry Almes and to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Wujcik by Senator M.J. White. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Edward Capriotti by Senator Williams. Congratulations of the Senate were extended to Jeffrey K. Stover by Senator Wozniak and others. Mrs. Wayne D. Winner, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Lynn Peacock, Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Chubb, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Upham, Mr. and Mrs. George Conrad, Mr. and Mrs. John Neylon, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Chester L. Myers, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Robbins, Mr. and Mrs. William Madill, Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Dietrich, Alex Neidig, Joel S. Barr, Kevin F. Eichensehr, Jim Bergen, Aaron Kelly and to Guthrie Clinic of Sayre by Senator Yaw. CONDOLENCE RESOLUTIONS The PRESIDENT laid before the Senate the following resolutions, which were read, considered, and adopted by voice vote: Condolences of the Senate were extended to the family of the late Honorable John P. Scott and to the family of the late James D. Cruver by Senator Baker. Condolences of the Senate were extended to the family of the late Jeanne Elizabeth DeHeck, to the family of the late J. Preston Van Artsdalen and to the family of the late John B. Wojciechowicz by Senator Mcllhinney. Condolences of the Senate were extended to the family of the late John G. Craig, Jr., by Senators One and Pippy. Condolences of the Senate were extended to the family of the late George W. Mullen by Senators Rafferty and Brubaker. Condolences of the Senate were extended to the family of the late William Eugene Green, Jr., by Senator Williams. BILL ON FIRST CONSIDERATION Senator WARD. Mr. President, I move that the Senate do now proceed to consideration of the bill reported from committee for the first time at today's Session. The motion was agreed to by voice vote. The bill was as follows: SB 831. And said bill having been considered for the first time, Ordered, To be printed on the Calendar for second consideration. PETITIONS AND REMONSTRANCES The PRESIDENT. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Northampton, Senator Boscola. Senator BOSCOLA. Mr. President, last week, Pennsylvania's primary election received a lot of national media attention. And as a result, all of the so-called experts and the political gurus are still arguing about whether Pennsylvania is a blue State or a red State. Well, let us settle this argument right
2010 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE 2103 now, because it does not matter whether Pennsylvania is a red State, a blue State, a green State, or a purple State. The truth is that Pennsylvania, right now, is a broke State. That is the bottom line. And that is why it is time for everybody to put away their red and blue crayons and stop coloring things to their liking, because we have a job to do. We have a State budget that must be balanced and on time. And before we can do that, we must first balance our spending priorities with the reality of what we actually have available to spend. That is called being fiscally responsible. That is called common sense. And that is called living within our means. It takes discipline to reduce spending instead of spending however you would like to. But millions of Pennsylvanians, individuals and working families, do it every single day. If they can do it after literally being pushed into a recession, they have every right to expect their State government and local governments to do the same. None of the middle-class families I know who are struggling to make it through these tough economic times were given the gift of a Federal bailout. They were not rewarded with million-dollar bonuses when they lost their jobs or lost their homes. Only the big banks and the crooks on Wall Street qualified for that kind of Federal special treatment. For the past 2 years, when the money was hard to come by, working families across this State made the hard, hard decisions they needed to make in order to hold on to the hope that things would get better. And right now, they are holding on to the hope that they can keep holding on. Mr. President, I do not know about anyone else in this Chamber, but I am getting a very bad feeling about the budget battle that lies ahead of us. Once again, we are dealing with a budget deficit that surpasses our original estimates. And unlike the Federal government, we cannot walk away from budget deficits. Next month marks the end of another fiscal year. Between now and June 30, we all owe it to the people of Pennsylvania to act responsibly, because we are all in this together. Everyone is in the same boat, facing the same reality and the same difficult choices. School districts and sewer authorities; city families and struggling farmers, whom my colleague, Senator Brubaker, always champions; working men and women who are now on their second extension of unemployment benefits; the local builder who cannot sell homes to people who cannot get a mortgage; and those who were forced to move in with their families because of a job that was lost or a house that was foreclosed. We are all in this together. We all share the burden, and we all share the responsibility, just as we all must share the pain of those sacrifices that will be necessary to balance our State budget without raising taxes. Our objective is to make sure that every tax dollar is spent well, and our priority is to focus on the needs of today and tomorrow instead of being locked into the same old patterns of yesterday. We can fix the hole that has been torn in our State budget. We just need the will and the strength to do it. That is our responsibility as Senators in this General Assembly. Thank you, Mr. President. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Senator John C. Rafferty, Jr.) in the Chair. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Westmoreland, Senator Ward. Senator WARD. Mr. President, this morning, a bipartisan group of Senators - Senator Stack, Senator Eichelberger, Senator White, Senator Vogel, and I - held a press conference to talk about what is wrong with the way the State is funding and managing the methadone program. The efforts that we are putting forward are pretty straightforward. We are now spending money, an indefensible waste of money and tax dollars -- a shocking, shocking lack of oversight, as no one has been paying attention to this or auditing this program. There are too many preventable deaths. So, quite clearly, this has to change. Methadone treatment is supposed to break a habit, but instead, in many, many cases, we are maintaining patients, sometimes for up to 10 or 11 years. That does not help the taxpayers, it does not help those patients' families, and it definitely does not help those patients. Our efforts are to clean up this program, save tax dollars--and I think there will be a lot of them; we do not have total numbers yet--and to make sure that the people being treated are being treated and taken care of toward a recovery instead of maintenance. There are very, very many good young people out there who sometimes get caught up in bad things. The way things are running now, we are not helping them. We are in many ways fixing them and making them stay permanently in a life that--instead of being productive taxpayers and getting their lives back on track, we are maintaining them on a synthetic narcotic. We need to fix that, so I stand today to ask everyone in our Chamber to support this bipartisan effort to bring some oversight, some accountability, and some responsibility back to this methadone program. Thank you very much. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Philadelphia, Senator Farnese. Senator FARNESE. Mr. President, in this Chamber, of course, we have some very, very serious issues to discuss. And as we prepare for the budget negotiations and what looms ahead, I think we are certainly cognizant of that and are readying ourselves. But there is also an opportunity today to talk about some of the good things that we have going on within the Commonwealth. Of course, one of them, Mr. President, as you know, is the playoff run and now the Stanley Cup run of the Philadelphia Flyers. I know that you, Senator Rafferty, and I, and Senator Stack and others, everybody from Philadelphia, and I know even our good friends from Pittsburgh, Senator Logan, of course, and Senator Costa, and everybody else, are cheering on our Flyers. I want to give them a shout-out as they begin their run for the Stanley Cup and let everybody know that we are very, very supportive of them. And just so that they know, we have a special presentation today, Mr. President. Our own Senator Boscola actually wore her Flyers colors today, her black and orange, in support of the Flyers bringing home the Cup. I know my cousin, Art Lumi, who is a huge, huge Philadelphia Flyers fan, was there when the Flyers won it the last time,
2104 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL - SENATE MAY 26, and I know in south Philadelphia, everybody is ready and raring to go for the playoffs. So just a big shout-out to them, and best of luck. Thank you, Mr. President. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair especially thanks the gentleman from Philadelphia County for his comments and his well wishes to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Philadelphia, Senator Stack. Senator STACK. Mr. President, I rise to make a few comments about what we have been doing this week. I, too, was pleased to stand with Senator Ward and other Senators today in a bipartisan effort to really take a close look at the issue of methadone distribution and prescription across this State. I remarked at the press conference that if our colleagues tuned in and had the sound off and saw the Senators standing there together at the press conference, they would have said, oh my gosh, what are these guys doing all together? But the bottom line is that there is no right, there is no left, there is no moderate, there is no Republican or Democrat. There is only what is the right thing to do, and how do we save lives? So I was really pleased to stand with Senator Ward and other Senators to stand up and really take a comprehensive look at how we prescribe the very dangerous drug of methadone. I think we are going to make a lot of progress. We look forward to giving the body of this Senate an update as we move along and seek all the Members' support. We have about 15 bills that we are all working on together, and that is just one area where, when we put our heads together, we can really solve problems. On that note, I want to dovetail into the discussion of, once again, we are in a budget crisis. And I appreciate Senator Boscola's remarks. There are things that we can accomplish. The only way we can accomplish them is if we absolutely focus together to solve these problems. We cannot end up in another stalemate, as we did last year. It is not only not the right thing to do, being more than 100 days over our constitutional rule, but it whittles away at the faith that people have in us to come up here and do that job. I have said countless times on this floor that I am honored to serve in this body and that the men and women who serve in this Senate Chamber are outstanding public servants. There is not one who I do not think is an extremely hard worker and has the interest of the people of Pennsylvania at heart. So we have to find a way to solve the problem. I have proposed legislation which would basically penalize Members of the House and Senate but also the cabinet secretaries and other folks if we do not pass this budget on time. It is not designed to attack us. It is designed to put a call out there to everyone that this is a dire situation. And in my legislation, if we get docked pay, we do not get to recover that pay. We have a job to do. It has to be done by June 30. So, once again, I am going to be here, ready to work with each and every one of you to get this job done, and I am going to talk about this, as I know Senator Boscola will, here on this floor. I feel confident that we will be able to work together and solve this problem and that eventually, we will come out of these tough economic times stronger than ever, and Pennsylvania will continue to be a leader. Also, I want to echo--and I know Senator Rafferty, serving as President right now, is a huge Flyers fan, as Senator Farnese and Senator Boscola and others are, but mostly, he is a big fan of Pennsylvania. I think it is great that last year, the Penguins, a great Pennsylvania team, won the Stanley Cup. This year, we have another Pennsylvania team, the Philadelphia Flyers, and I think what is great about their story is the lesson that they can tell our young people about persistence, perseverance, teamwork, and believing that they can accomplish goals even if all the experts say it is impossible. That is what the Flyers have done by being down 3-0 against the Boston Bruins and coming all the way back, and then being down 3-0 in Game 7 and coming back and winning the game, and now being in the Cup finals. So it is a terrific story. It is more than a sports story. It is a lesson about continuing to fight to get things done. So that is a lesson for all of us to learn. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for the time to talk about these issues, and I look forward to working with you in the weeks to come.. RECESS The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from York, Senator Waugh. Senator WAUGH. Mr. President, I move that the Senate do now recess until Monday, June 7, 2010, at 1 p.m., Eastern Daylight Saving Time, unless sooner recalled by the President pro tempore. The motion was agreed to by voice vote. The Senate recessed at 12:02 p.m., Eastern Daylight Saving Time.