By Vince Phillips
Editor’s Note: This is a periodic look at the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s work on issues affecting agriculture and rural communities.
We are at the end of the 2023-24 session of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly. Transition to the 2025-26 legislative session has begun. The first major step is selection of leadership for the House and Senate Republican and Democratic Caucuses.
House leadership. Top Democratic leaders of the PA House are from eastern Pennsylvania. Re-elected were Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton, of Philadelphia, and Majority Leader Matt Bradford, of Montgomery County.
Two westerners are in Democratic leadership. Rep. Rob Matzie from Beaver County is the new Democratic Caucus Chair and Rep. Ryan Bizzarro from Erie continues as Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee. A westerner, Rep. Dan Miller from Allegheny County did not continue as Democratic Whip. Democrats continue to control the House by a one-vote margin.
On the Republican side, there was more transition in leadership. Rep. Bryan Cutler, of Lancaster, chose not to seek re-election as Minority Leader. The new GOP leader is Rep. Jessie Topper whose district includes Bedford and Fulton counties. The Republican Whip is Rep. Tim O’Neal from Washington County. The influential House Appropriations Committee’s new Minority Chair is Rep. Jim Struzzi from Indiana County.
Senate leadership. Senate Republicans still have a majority of 28-22. The GOP lost a seat in central Pennsylvania where the incumbent senator retired but picked up a Philadelphia senator. Republicans were able to retain two western Pennsylvania senators, Dan Laughlin from Erie County and Devin Robinson from Allegheny County. Democrats retained the Allegheny County seat held by retiring Sen. Jim Brewster.
The Republican Caucus re-elected its leadership with western senators continuing in their leadership roles. President Pro Tempore is Sen. Kim Ward from Westmoreland County. She is joined by Majority Leader Joe Pittman from Indiana County and Sen. Carmen Bartolotta who represents Greene, Beaver and Washington counties. She serves as Majority Caucus Secretary.
Senate Democratic Caucus leaders all hail from eastern Pennsylvania except for the Minority Leader, the most powerful figure in the caucus. He is Sen. Jay Costa from Allegheny County.
Leaders and ag legislation
Members of the new House and Senate leadership coming from western rural counties have introduced legislation or resolutions affecting agriculture and rural Pennsylvania.
House. Matzie has sponsored House Bills 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865, which are a package of bills designed to make acquisitions of smaller water systems more transparent and spreading out increased charges to customers over time instead of all at once. Matzie also sponsored House Resolution 400 declaring June 19-25 as Pollinator Week and House Resolution 513 recognizing October as Wine, Wineries and Grapes Month.
Bizzarro sponsored HBs 1318 and 1319 dealing with kennels which are regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Topper traditionally has introduced education bills since he was Minority Chair of that committee. However, he was a co-sponsor of HB 953 to modernize the Frozen Dessert Act which is regulated by the state department of agriculture.
O’Neal cosponsored HB 2093 to allow a donation to fire departments made by drivers when they apply for or renew their vehicle registration.
Struzzi is one of the most prolific lawmakers introducing or cosponsoring 2023-24 agricultural/rural legislation. Some prime sponsorships include: HBs 2526 and 2573 to establish an independent Office of Energy Development as well as HB 200 allowing for routine maintenance of streams without having to get repeated DEP permits. He is a cosponsor of bills like HB 32 (storm water management) and sale of whole milk in schools (HB 997) as well as protecting landowners from liability if their property is, with their permission, being used for recreational purposes (HB 33).
Senate. Pittman and Ward have not sponsored agricultural/rural legislation but they have impacted literally every piece of legislation considered by the Pennsylvania senate. In addition, they led the charge against former Gov. Tom Wolf’s regulatory decision to bypass the legislature by enrolling Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a program designed to eliminate fossil fuel use for power generation.
Bartolotta has several bills such as her attempts to strengthen appeals before the Environmental Hearing Board (Senate Bills 198 and 199) and to streamline the DEP Erosion and Sediment Control Permits process (SB 364). In addition, she sponsored SB1346 to limit Marcellus Shale Impact Fees going to municipalities that seek to restrict or eliminate natural gas development. Another bill, SB 365, allows workers compensation insurance coverage for volunteer and paid firefighters, EMS and first responders who suffer post-traumatic stress injuries from their work.
Costa has not sponsored any agriculture/rural legislation this session. Except for some environmental legislation, most Senate Democratic work on agriculture is led by Sen. Judy Schwank from Berks County, Minority Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. She has a particular interest in dairy issues.
(Ag lobbyist Vince Phillips retired in 2021 after serving as an advocate in Harrisburg for 31 years. He has worked in professional communications in the food industry in Washington, DC, and was a political appointee at U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Reagan administration. He also was appointed to President-elect Reagan’s Transition Team.)
