How they voted: House and Senate Session Oct. 29, 2021
PENNSYLVANIA SENATE
RGGI: Gov. Tom Wolf announced in October 2019 his intention to enter Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) without the approval of the General Assembly. RGGI is a regional cooperative energy market with the goal of eliminating fossil fuel consumption and taxing emissions on existing fossil fuel use.
Legislators claimed the governor needed their approval to put the state in this regional agreement, in part because joining RGGI levies a tax on any CO2 emissions. Since that announcement, business and union leaders have lined up to oppose the regulation citing job losses and increased costs on consumers.
The governor was unmoved by their pleas and went forward with the proposal. The Pennsylvania Senate passed a resolution sponsored by Sen. Joe Pittman (R-Armstrong/Butler/Indiana/Westmoreland) in a bipartisan vote of 32-18 signaling its opposition to the proposal. The resolution now will head to the House for consideration.
Senate Final Vote:
Yes
Bucks: Mensch (R), Tomlinson (R)
Montgomery: Mensch (R)
No
Bucks: Collett (D), Santarsiero (D)
Chester: Comitta (D), Kane (D), Kearney (D), Muth (D)
Delaware: Cappelletti (D), Kane (D), Kearney (D), Williams, A (D)
Montgomery: Cappelletti (D), Collett (D), Haywood (D), Hughes (D), Muth (D)
ENERGY: The Senate also took up another piece of energy legislation by Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Bradford/Lycoming/Sullivan/Susquehanna/Union). SB 277 would prevent a municipality from restricting the use of an energy source, such as natural gas. Senator Yaw cited the fact Pennsylvania has over 2,500 municipalities as a reason for this, noting an all-of-the-above energy approach via a statewide policy is better than a patchwork of local energy policies. The bill passed the Senate in a bipartisan fashion, 35-15.
Final Senate Vote:
Yes
Bucks: Mensch (R), Tomlinson (R)
Chester: Kane (D)
Delaware: Kane (D)
Montgomery: Mensch (R)
No
Bucks: Collett (D), Santarsiero (D)
Chester: Comitta (D), Kearney (D), Muth (D)
Delaware: Cappelletti (D), Kearney (D), Williams, A (D)
Montgomery: Cappelletti (D), Collett (D), Haywood (D), Hughes (D), Muth (D)
PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE
WORKERS: Rep. Shelby Labs’ (R-Bucks) HB 1819 tackles an issue that has become a point of contention from the business community as the pandemic recovery drags on: abled-bodied people unwilling to work.
If passed, HB 1819 would add refusing to participate in a job interview and refusing an employment referral without good cause as a reason to terminate Unemployment Compensation. Labs claims employers in her district have relayed stories of individuals applying for jobs only to meet the Unemployment Compensation requirements with no intention to attend an interview.
The bill passed the House 176-23, with all Republicans voting yes, and a handful of Democrats voting no.
Final House Vote:
Yes
Bucks: Davis (D), Farry (R), Galloway (D), Labs (R), Polinchock (R), Schroeder (R), Staats (R),
Thomas (R), Tomlinson (R), Warren (D)
Chester: Hennessey (R), Herrin (D), Lawrence (R), Sappey (D), Shusterman (D), Williams,
Craig (R), Williams, Dan (D)
Delaware: Delloso (D), Kickland (D), Krueger (D), McClinton (D), O’Mara (D), Quinn (R),
Vitali (D), Williams, Craig (R), Zabel (D)
Montgomery: Boyle (D), Bradford (D), Briggs (D), Ciresi (D), Daley (D), DeLissio (D),
Hanbidge (D), Hennessey (R), Mackenzie (R), Malagari (D), Pennycuick (R), Sanchez (D),
Shusterman (D), Stephens (R), Vitali (D), Webster (D)
No
Chester: Howard (D), Otten (D)
Delaware: Young (D)
Montgomery: Guenst (D)
