House leaders confirmed on Friday that Rep. Dan McNeill (D-Lehigh) passed away at the age of 70.

This episode talks over the latest in state budget news and has a feature interview with former state legislator and current president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Matt Smith.

Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) unveiled a new budget proposal that would help balance the budget without the need of borrowing. 

The proposal includes a Personal Income Tax increase of .25 percentage points to 3.32 percent, a 3 percent shale tax, revenue from gaming, revenue from liquor privatization, revenue from the expansion of the Sales and Use Tax that includes online marketplaces and booking agents and money from fund transfers. 

 

In an effort to stymie the stigma that often follows an individual suffering from a mental health disability, state Representatives Dan Miller (D-Mt. Lebanon) and Mike Schlossberg (D-Lehigh) have introduced legislation to add curriculum requirements for health classes across Pennsylvania to educate students in an age-appropriate manner about mental health, physical disabilities, and developmental disabilities. 

Since the natural gas extraction boom hit Pennsylvania, some landowners who lease their properties to gas companies for drilling purposes have become the target of bare minimum payments by those very gas companies legally bound to pay them their fair share of a royalty check.

State lawmakers have heard numerous examples of drilling companies drawing gas from leased properties then paying the mineral owners next to nothing after deducting their share of the costs of piping and processing the gas for market.

In an effort to increase fairness and transparency for landowners who receive natural gas royalties, state Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington) has recently proposed legislation that would define what post-production costs are and what is considered to be an acceptable deduction.