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Legislative Update As we have reported there are a number of bills that we are watching that are of concern to our members. Bed Bug Eradication Bill PTLA has approved a position opposing this bill and will be seining a letter of opposition to the sponsor of this bill. We are working with our partners from around the state to make sure this bill does not get out of committee. The PTLA Government Affairs Committee has been working diligently on this issue. 30 Day Hotel Tax Rule SB 300 has been introduced in committee to do away with the 30 Day rule for 4th – 8th class counties. PTLA has developed a survey that was sent out to our membership in order to gauge reaction and input on this issue. Your feedback will be tremendously helpful in helping PTLA to take an informed position on this issue. The PTLA Tax Committee worked to draft the survey and will be working on the results and we will be sharing the findings with the membership. Privatizing the State Liquor Stores One of the hot topics during this past Gubernatorial election was the Privatizing of the State Liquor Stores. This is a concept that the Governor has supported. Representative Turzi - House Majority Leader (Allegheny County) introduced a bill in the Spring that did not go anywhere during the budget process but the Representative has introduced a new bill - HB 11 that would privatize the state stores. One of the primary initiatives of HB 11 would be to eliminate the 18 percent Johnstown Flood tax and the 30 percent markup by the PLCB and this legislation would be looking to implement a gallonage tax in place of the current tax structure. The proposed bill and additional information can be viewed at: http://www.repturzai.com/LCBPrivatization.aspx PTLA met with staff in the Governor’s policy office last week to talk about this concept and how it would impact our members. We stressed the importance of our industry being at the table for these discussions and its potential impact on our members. We will continue to keep you updated as this issue gains momentum in the fall. Employer Use of Criminal Histories to Mitigate Risk and Promote Safety Last week PTLA signed onto a federal coalition on the issue of employer background checks. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held hearings on July 26th on this issue. The Coalition represents businesses that have a critical need to protect the safety of people and property in workplaces across the United Sates. This Coalition is working to keep workplaces safe, protect vulnerable populations, and keep workplaces free of fraud and theft. The EEOC is reexamining the use of criminal background checks for existing or prospective workers and may even revise existing guidance on this issue. The Coalition believes that fair and appropriate use of criminal histories is one of the most important tools businesses have to protect themselves, their other workers, and their customers. Criminal background checks are an effective way to protect vulnerable individuals such as children, the elderly and the disabled, as well as individuals in vulnerable situations, such as those who invite strangers into their homes for repairs and deliveries. We want to make informed hiring decisions within the bounds of the law. Senate and House Fall Schedule The State Senate is back in session the week of September 19th and the State House will return the week of September 26th. PTLA will continue to keep you aware of these critically important issues as they evolve. Your input and feedback is very important. Please continue to visit our website for any additional information or feel to reach out to Rob Fulton – PTLA’s lobbyist at rob@pacvb.org or 717-901-0251 with any feedback or questions that you have. Thank you for your continued support and participation on these issues. |
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