by KYW's Tony Romeo
There was important unfinished business before Pennsylvania lawmakers today as the state Senate held what’s expected to be its final session day before the election -- and possibly its last significant session day of the year.
One of the big ticket items on the agenda is an expansion of the state’s “Cover All Kids” program. Governor Rendell claims that when the budget was finalized in July, legislative Republican leaders made a promise to finalize implementing legislation this fall:
“The money for that is in the budget, to cover all of Pennsylvania’s 140,000 kids who aren’t covered by health insurance.”
But Stephen MacNett, general counsel for Senate Republican leaders, claims there was no specific agreement on how to grow the program:
“No, we didn’t agree to the parameters.”
Also still in play is a bill to reform the state’s gambling law and the issue of how much local control Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will have over casino locations.
MacNett says there’s no talk in the Senate of adding session days before the election and says there will likely be only a “limited” legislative agenda during a brief November session.
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