Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Legislative
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018 SESSION OF 2018 202D OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY No. 47 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HON. BRYAN BARBIN, member of the House of The House convened at 11 a.m., e.s.t. Representatives, offered the following prayer: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. THE SPEAKER (MIKE TURZAI) As we close this the 336th year of Pennsylvania's General PRESIDING Assembly, let us give thanks for the religious liberty embodied in this Holy Experiment, where we have the choice to serve others. MOMENT OF SILENCE OBSERVED Help us to choose to believe the better way where ahavah, agape, brotherly love triumphs over selfishness. We are Your creation; The SPEAKER. Since we last met, in the Commonwealth of help us to respect Your gift. Protect those who have risked life Pennsylvania, a tragedy of unspoken evil and sadness occurred in and limb to protect our Republic. Grant Your peace to all those our great Commonwealth. On October 27, 2018, at the Tree of who have served here – those whose lives have ended on this Life Synagogue, which serves three communities, in the city of earth and those who are ending their public service. Bless Dan, Pittsburgh, the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, 11 people were Flo, Mike, and Sid's families with a special blessing. Strengthen ruthlessly shot and killed, and 6 others, including 4 police all of our families of those of each of us who support this work. officers, were wounded. Bless Matt Gabler and all of the returning members of the Members and guests, please rise for a moment of silence as a 28th Division. mark of respect for the fallen victims of this horrific massacre May God bless this body, this Commonwealth, and this and for those that were injured, for their families, for the nation. And all of God's children say, Amen. Pittsburgh Jewish community, for the Pittsburgh community, and for all of those in Pennsylvania who have suffered along with PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE these victims. Each and every individual is deserving of love and respect. (The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by members and There is no room for hate. Each and every individual matters. visitors.) Each individual that lost his or her life will be sorely missed. There is no room for anti-Semitism nor any other kind of ism that throws hate towards another individual. JOURNAL APPROVAL POSTPONED And to our brothers and sisters from the Jewish community in our Commonwealth and all throughout the world who had to live The SPEAKER. Without objection, the approval of the through, either personally or through memory, the Holocaust, this Journal of Wednesday, October 17, 2018, will be postponed until is certainly very, very difficult. Each and every one of us decries printed. it; each and every one of us prays for the families and for the victims; and we each, each in our way solemnly stand here today JOURNALS APPROVED in remembrance. The SPEAKER. However, the following 2018 Journals are in (Whereupon, a moment of silence was observed.) print and, without objection, will be approved: The SPEAKER. May God bless. Tuesday, March 13, 2018; I would ask all of you to please remain standing. Wednesday, March 14, 2018; Monday, April 9, 2018; Tuesday, April 10, 2018; and PRAYER Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The SPEAKER. The prayer today will be offered by our friend and colleague, Representative Bryan Barbin. Without objection, all Journals not now in print will be Representative. approved. 1476 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL—HOUSE NOVEMBER 13 COMMUNICATION FROM DEPARTMENT communities, and I must tell both families, well loved here in the OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION House of Representatives. It is with sadness that they leave us. One of the members was not seeking reelection, The SPEAKER. The Speaker acknowledges receipt of the Representative Michael H. O'Brien. He would have had an Industrial Land Recycling Fund Annual Report, fiscal year opportunity to give retiring remarks. I am very saddened that he July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018, from the Pennsylvania did not have the occasion to give those remarks. Representative Department of Environmental Protection. Kavulich, as you know, was running for reelection. I am sure, for either of those individuals, they would have had celebratory (Copy of communication is on file with the Journal clerk.) victories on their election evenings, so it is sad to see them go. It is especially sad for the families. COMMUNICATION FROM As is our custom, we are now going to take time for those memorial services. TEMPLE UNIVERSITY The SPEAKER. The Speaker acknowledges receipt of the CONDOLENCE RESOLUTION financial statements for Temple University – of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education as of and for the The SPEAKER. We are going to begin with the fiscal years ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. condolence resolution for Representative Michael H. O'Brien of the 175th District. (Copy of communication is on file with the Journal clerk.) I would ask our Chief Clerk at this time to read that resolution. The SPEAKER. The Sergeants at Arms will briefly open the The following resolution was read: doors of the House so that members can come onto the floor. I would ask all members to please come onto to the floor. We are COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA going to be closing the doors shortly. All members, please take THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES your seats. CONDOLENCE RESOLUTION I am now going to ask that the doors of the House be closed as we take up condolence resolutions. Members, you may knock WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of Pennsylvania wishes to come back onto the floor or to come onto the floor, but we are to honor the memory of the Honorable Michael H. O'Brien, a going to close the doors of the House at this time. All members, member of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania who served please come onto the House floor. To the members, please take the 175th Legislative District with honor and distinction and passed your seats. away at the age of sixty-four on October 15, 2018; and WHEREAS, Born in Philadelphia on July 24, 1954, Representative O'Brien graduated from Northeast Catholic High School for Boys and REMARKS BY SPEAKER attended La Salle University. He served as Director of Operations for a meat house and as Chief of Staff for former Representative Marie The SPEAKER. We had the unfortunate sadness in this Lederer before being elected to the House of Representatives of session, towards the end of it, to lose two outstanding colleagues Pennsylvania in 2006. Re-elected to five additional terms, he was lauded and distinguished gentlemen, whom we are going to be honoring as a leading advocate for women's health and working family issues, right now. prioritizing affordable housing and education while championing But before we begin, I want to extend my apologies personally progressive social causes. Representative O'Brien served as the – the buck stops here – for the delay. I will assume personal Democratic Chair of the Urban Affairs Committee and was a member of the House Appropriations Committee; and responsibility; I should, and I really am very apologetic. My WHEREAS, A beloved family member, avowed community steward understanding is that between the leadership elections, between and dedicated public servant, Representative O'Brien exemplified the the Republicans early in the morning and the Democrats in the best qualities of the human experience. He generously gave of his heart afternoon, that that is when everybody was scheduled to be here, and time to enhance the quality of life of his family and community, and and I apologize personally. his loss will be felt by the many individuals who knew, admired and loved him; now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR Commonwealth of Pennsylvania proclaim with enduring sorrow the HON. MICHAEL H. O'BRIEN passing of the Honorable Michael O'Brien; and extend heartfelt AND condolences to his wife, Rita Kohler O'Brien; son, Michael; daughter, HON. SID MICHAELS KAVULICH Bridget; and many other family members, coworkers and friends; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution, sponsored by The SPEAKER. The 175th Legislative District was Representatives Mike Turzai, Dave Reed and Frank Dermody on represented by Michael H. O'Brien. I was blessed to be able to October 23, 2018, be transmitted to Rita Kohler O'Brien. get to the visitation. I was not able to make the Mass celebrating his life. And the good gentleman from the 114th Legislative Dave Reed, Sponsor District, Sid Michaels Kavulich, I was blessed to be at the Mass Frank Dermody, Sponsor and celebration of his life. You could not find two more Mike Turzai, Speaker of the House honorable individuals, well loved in their respective ATTEST: David Reddecliff, Chief Clerk of the House 2018 LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL—HOUSE 1477 On the question, I believe it was around 2013-2014, and Michael, in a very quick Will the House adopt the resolution? speech, decided to stand up, and he liked to compare the House and the folks out behind the hall to the best little House in Texas, The SPEAKER. Those – and we will be having remarks after but he used Pennsylvania instead, which got a bit of a laugh, but the vote – but those in favor of the adoption of the resolution will he did that on purpose because he liked to be straight to the point. rise as a mark of respect for our former colleague. Guests, I would One of the things that I enjoyed most about Michael was ask you to please rise as able as well.