Government Relations
thirds vote from the Senate is required to overturn a governor ’ s veto . This is a turnaround from the previous legislative session , when Senate Democrats enjoyed the biggest pickup for the party since 1970 .
Meanwhile , in the House of Representatives , Republicans picked up three seats and now lead Democrats , 122-81 . House Democrats began this session with their lowest total since 1957-58 after losing four seats in western Pennsylvania .
Pennsylvania ’ s legislative makeup is part of a national trend . Democrats face the hurdle of having legislative control ( Senate , House , and governorship ) in just five states , their lowest number since the Civil War era . There are 25 states with a Republican governor and a Republican state legislature . According to the bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures ( NCSL ), the Democratic Party has lost a total of 919 seats in state legislatures since 2009 .
A week after the election , the House and Senate held their leadership elections . Democrats and Republicans choose their party leadership on an annual basis . The positions in leadership correspond with a higher salary and better pension benefits . The following will be Senate and House leadership for the 2017-2018 session :
Senate Republican Leadership President Pro Tempore-designee : Joe Scarnati ( Jefferson ) Leader : Jake Corman ( Centre ) Appropriations Chairman : Patrick Browne ( Lehigh ) Whip : John Gordner ( Columbia ) Caucus Chair : Bob Mensch ( Montgomery ) Caucus Secretary : Richard Alloway ( Franklin ) Caucus Administrator : Chuck McIlhinney ( Bucks ) Policy Chair : David Argall ( Schuylkill )
Senate Democratic Leadership Leader : Jay Costa ( Allegheny ) Appropriations Chairman : Vincent Hughes ( Philadelphia ) Whip : Anthony Williams ( Philadelphia ) Caucus Chair : Wayne Fontana ( Allegheny ) Caucus Secretary : Larry Farnese ( Philadelphia ) Caucus Administrator : Has Not Yet Been Appointed Policy Chair : Lisa Boscola ( Northampton )
House Republican Leadership Speaker-designee : Mike Turzai ( Allegheny ) Leader : David Reed ( Indiana ) Appropriations Chairman : Stan Saylor ( York ) Whip : Bryan Cutler ( Lancaster )
Caucus Chair : Marcy Toepel ( Montgomery ) Caucus Secretary : Donna Oberlander ( Clarion ) Caucus Administrator : Kurt Masser ( Northumberland ) Policy Chair : Kerry Benninghoff ( Centre )
House Democratic Leadership Leader : Frank Dermody ( Allegheny ) Appropriations Chairman : Joe Markosek ( Allegheny ) Whip : Mike Hanna ( Clinton ) Caucus Chair : Dan Frankel ( Allegheny ) Caucus Secretary : Rosita Youngblood ( Philadelphia ) Caucus Administrator : Neal Goodman ( Schuylkill ) Policy Chair : Mike Sturla ( Lancaster )
The General Assembly will continue to determine your fate on dental-related issues , such as insurance practices , small business ownership , and access to oral care . PDA looks forward to working with incumbents and ensuring newly elected legislators are updated on issues pertinent to the practice of dentistry .
PADPAC 101 : The Importance of Hard Dollars
PADPAC enjoys the distinction of being one of the largest bi-partisan health care PACs in Pennsylvania . We could lose this distinction , however , if we do not have “ hard dollar ” resources . For campaign finance reporting purposes , it ’ s critical to make the distinction between hard and soft dollars . Hard dollars ( contributions made with a personal check or credit card ) may be used for political campaign contributions , while soft dollars ( donations made with a corporate check or credit card ) may be used for administrative purposes .
The foundation of PDA membership is advocacy – our efforts to advocate and protect your profession before the legislature in Harrisburg . We cannot carry out this work without hard dollars . After a major election year , it ’ s especially important to rebuild our hard dollar reserves in order to maintain and grow our large network of supportive legislators . It is through hard dollars that our lobbyists , staff and members can meet with legislators and secure lasting relationships . Please consider a hard dollar contribution with a personal credit card or check today ! Donate online at www . padental . org / padpac .
PADPAC Membership Categories : Century Club : $ 120- $ 199 Keystone Club : $ 200- $ 499 Capitol Club : $ 500- $ 999 Liberty Club : $ 1000 + President ’ s Club : $ 2,500 +
10 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL