PennFuture to State House:  Do your job

Decision by State House Democratic Leadership to cancel voting sessions cheats citizens, destroys years of work for good policy
 
(Harrisburg, PA – November 5, 2010) – Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) today decried the just-announced decision by the Pennsylvania State House Democratic Leadership to cancel the final two weeks of voting this session, saying this action “cheats citizens and destroys years of work for good policy.”

PennFuture’s President and CEO Jan Jarrett said, “This decision by the leadership is a travesty. There are scores of non-controversial bills – bills that have passed the House and had simple amendments added when they passed the Senate – that would grow Pennsylvania’s economy and protect our citizens. But apparently doing the people’s business isn’t on the agenda of the leadership.

“The bills waiting for action are vitally important,” continued Jarrett. “The Housing Trust Fund Bill is a prime example. It has passed both the House and the Senate overwhelmingly, after four years of work. It won’t cost Pennsylvanians a cent – in fact, it would allow Pennsylvania to tap into Federal money that could be used to address the housing meltdown we’re experiencing. And it’s a bill that originated in the House, with only minor amendments from the Senate. If the House doesn’t return next week, we will lose all the time and energy invested, and our citizens and economy will suffer.

“Another is the electronic waste recycling bill, House Bill 708, a bill that will grow the economy and create jobs,” continued Jarrett. “It also has widespread support in both houses. And one more – Senate Bill 1409 – provides training programs for unemployed workers. How dare the House leadership ignore the need to create jobs?

“There is simply no excuse for this decision,” continued Jarrett. “The House leadership needs to rescind this outrageous decision and come back to Harrisburg so the House members can do their jobs and collect their paychecks in good conscience.”PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization that advances policies to protect and improve the state’s environment and economy. With offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, West Chester, and Wilkes-Barre, PennFuture’s activities include litigating cases before regulatory bodies and in local, state and federal courts, advocating and advancing legislative action on a state and federal level, public education and assisting citizens in public advocacy. PennFuture has experts and attorneys, outreach workers and communicators, lobbyists and educators, all working with local groups and citizens across the state to adopt and enforce great public policy. Our motto is “Every environmental victory grows the economy.” The Philadelphia Inquirer called PennFuture the state’s “leading environmental advocacy organization.”

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