2024 PA Legislative Scorecard

SB831 authorizes carbon sequestration projects to reduce “greenhouse gas emissions” and empowers the Department of Environmental Protection to designate “environmental justice” areas based on “demographic, economic, health and environmental data.”

The Senate passed SB831 on July 11, 2024, by a vote of 37 to 12. We have assigned pluses to the nays because the recent and unjust expansion of carbon capture storage systems in the United States is closely connected to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for “sustainable development,” which seeks to codify extreme “environmental justice” measures into state law. Its push for a “decarbonized” economy on behalf of “vulnerable populations” is nothing other than a fanatical attempt by globalist elites to expand their taxing power and authority. The abuse of eminent domain for these carbon dioxide pipelines encroaches upon the constitutionally protected property rights of Pennsylvanians, particularly those who live in the majority rural parts of the Commonwealth. If America is to truly remain the “land of the free,” then the States and the people must reject the hoax of “climate change” and put an end to the global war on farmers.

HB1993, among other provisions, requires pharmacy benefit managers to comply with the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program.

The Senate passed HB1993 on July 10, 2024, by a vote of 48 to 1. We have assigned pluses to the nays because Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act, which requires pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in Medicaid to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices, is unconstitutional. Medicaid, along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is not authorized under Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, as health care is not the legitimate object of government. Government-subsidized health care or drug pricing, not to mention the “benefits” provided to illegal aliens, is financed by immoral and anti-constitutional forms of taxation (e.g., personal or corporate income taxes). It violates the Bill of Rights and 14th Amendment by taking from citizens the wages they have rightfully earned. The General Assembly should act instead to nullify all unconstitutional federal laws and cease reckless social welfare initiatives.

HB613 provides funding for several state-related universities (Penn State, Pitt, Temple, and Lincoln) and a private Ivy League university (Penn).

The Senate passed HB613 on July 3, 2024, by a vote of 44 to 6. We have assigned pluses to the nays because funding institutes of higher education is not the role of government. This bill only extends the state’s monopoly over K-12 education and beyond. Its exchange of public subsidies for postsecondary curriculum and other regulatory controls effectively turns every university student or employee into a government-school student or employee. Besides, state-sponsored higher education acts as an unnecessary drain on the treasury. Public colleges and universities can and should at least be privatized, without the need to rely on state appropriations. Neither academic nor financial freedom can be achieved by forcing other citizens to furnish their hard-earned tax dollars to fund all that now entails a failing and government-run education system.

SB913 would require parental consent to virtual mental health services provided by or in coordination with a school entity.

The Senate passed SB913 on June 27, 2024, by a vote of 28 to 21. We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the upbringing, education, care, and control of children belongs to—and is a fundamental right of—parents, not the government. Parental rights, as with all other fundamental rights, are protected by the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

SR251 urges the Governor to offer the services of the Pennsylvania National Guard to the State of Texas in support of Operation Lone Star.

The Senate adopted SR25 on March 19, 2024, by a vote of 27 to 22. We have assigned pluses to the yeas because persons who enter the United States illegally—which, by definition, is a crime under federal law—should not be permitted sanctuary in Texas, Pennsylvania, or any other state. Article IV, Section 4, requires the federal government to protect each of the several States “against Invasion;” however, Article 1, Section 10, of the U.S. Constitution allows the States to enter into agreements if “actually invaded.” Rather than pursue blatantly anti-American policies that undermine the rule of law and erode the value of citizenship, the States should exercise their sovereign powers under the 10th Amendment to stop illegal migration and provide for the public safety.