Legislative Budget & Finance Committee Reports

2007/2008

Reports provided by PA Legislative Services

HARRISBURG - (2/27/08, 12:45 p.m., Room 168 Main Capitol Building)

The Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee held a meeting to discuss two separate matters.

HR 193 Haluska - (PN 1236) Resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the fiscal impact of future increased value of the assets of the Pennsylvania Game Commission in relation to the cost of licenses issued by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

LBFC staff recommended accepting the RFP from Forecom, Inc. which has dual headquarters in PA and New York. Two proposals were received, he said, and the committee has chosen to accept the lower bid. He pointed out the company's expertise in the timber, oil, coal and gas industries.

Rep. Dave Levdansky (D-Allegheny) asked if this firm has enough expertise to evaluate all of these resources. Staff informed him they didn't put the RFP out that way, but were assured this firm has expertise in all areas necessary. Rep. Levdansky noted timber trends tend to be more complicated to value. Staff said originally they thought they would need to split up the RFP but this firm was found to be sufficient. The proposal to select a contractor was unanimously adopted.

SR 195 Brubaker - (PN 1464) Resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to review the Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program. - The committee unanimously adopted the project.

SR 224 Vance - (PN 1703) Resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the cost for wastewater treatment plants to comply with Pennsylvania's Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy. - The committee unanimously adopted the project.

Chairman John Pippy (R-Allegheny) asked about these projects being done in-house. Staff told him SR 195 will be done in-house and only part of SR 224 will be done in-house. They also said the part that could be done in-house involves looking at what other states are doing. The rest, they said, would likely involve putting out an RFP for an engineer.

Rep. Levdansky said he wanted to discuss the issue of deer management. He announced it has been very difficult to fine a reputable, out-of-state organization that has never done any work with the PA Game Commission. He said another approach could be to hire a prime organization, perhaps from a university. Then they could assemble a team of peer experts, Rep. Levdansky suggested. He noted receiving massive amount of e-mails on deer management issue and thinks the LBFC should issue a press release soon at least to update the public on where the matter stands.

Chairman Pippy stated he thinks the Game and Fisheries Committee should be involved in this so there is a majority consensus on what to do. He said he thinks it is best to work out in committee first. Rep. Levdansky mentioned having spoken to Chairmen Staback and Rohrer from the House Game and Fisheries Committee. The right "team leader" just needs to be found for this project, Rep. Levdansky said. Chairman Pippy recommended executing a resolution first. Rep. Levdansky said he knows PA's deer management has had a strong economic impact, especially in Northern PA. Chairman Pippy reconsidered his first suggestion for just one resolution and said he thinks perhaps two resolutions would be necessary. One could focus on the economic impact only and the other on everything else, he said. Chairman Pippy informed staff to continue to work on the RFP for this. Rep. Levdansky stressed the need to get started on this right away because this study would be a big public service initiative.

Rebecca Kann, PA Legislative Services

HARRISBURG - (3/28/07, 10:00 a.m., Hearing Room 2, North Office Building

The Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee met to receive a report on the danger of shotguns and muzzleloaders versus centerfire rifles for deer hunting in PA.

Members in attendance included Chairman Ron Raymond (R-Delaware), and Senators Gerald LaValle (D-Beaver), Paul Costa (D-Allegheny) and John Pippy (R-Allegheny).

Todd Bacastow and Kenan Kevenk, representatives from Mountaintop Technologies, Inc - the company contracted to conduct the study - presented their report, along with conclusions and recommendations.

Bacastow highlighted the fact that the technology of shotguns and muzzleloaders has evolved to the point where they are comparable in effectiveness to centerfire rifles. He stated the angle of elevation of a shot determines its angle of impact, which in turn governs the height and distance of the subsequent ricochet. In comparing several different angles of elevation, Bacastow reported that in the unlikely event a shot is fired at a 35 degree angle, a .30 rifle round will travel upwards of three miles, but will have no ricochet. Similarly fired shotgun and muzzleloaders, he added, will travel a significantly shorter distance. Bacastow continued, explaining that at ten, five and zero degree angles of elevation, .30 cal rifle rounds will travel farther on the fly, but at the zero degree level - the most likely scenario for deer hunting - saboted shotgun rounds will actually travel a further combined distance due to an exaggerated ricochet.

Mountaintop Technologies' conclusions, Bacastow reported, include the realization that the "conventional wisdom" that shotguns are generally a safe option is not always true. While they are less risky under extreme firing angles (35 degrees angle of elevation), he pointed out that at more realistic firing angles, include a straight-on zero angle, that risk changes. Bacastow also stated that muzzleloaders are consistently less risky than the other two weapons.

Senator Pippy asked if there is less impact speed associated with .30 cal rounds due to their light weight. Bacastow agreed a lighter bullet is more likely to deform and shed energy on a ricochet, while a heavier round will have more energy and retain more of its force.

The Committee unanimously agreed to release the report.

Mike Howells