US hiring surges in July, unemployment rate drops to 5.4%
By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hiring surged in July as American employers added 943,000 jobs. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.4%  as the U.S. economy continues to bounce back with surprising vigor from last year’s coronavirus shutdown. The July numbers exceeded economists’ forecast for more than 860,000 new jobs. Hotels and restaurants, reopening and doing brisk business, added 327,000 jobs last month. The number of people who reported they had jobs surged by 1 million, pushing the jobless rate down from 5.9% in June. The economy and job market, however, face a growing threat from the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.

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HARRISBURG – Republican leaders in the House and Senate informed Gov. Wolf today of their continued commitment to fight back against the scourge of opioid abuse in the Commonwealth but those efforts do not require an additional emergency declaration.

In a letter to the governor, House Speaker Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Centre) highlight the collaboration with medical professionals, first responders and many others that have resulted in numerous laws aimed at saving lives.

“We believe that rather than renewing the disaster declaration for a fifteenth time, we assure you of our commitment to continuing our vital work in the weeks, months and year ahead,” the letter states in part.

In addition, House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) and Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) noted that addressing the opioid crisis will be a top legislative priority for both majority caucuses in the fall.

“Far too many Pennsylvania families have felt the impact of this crisis personally and permanently, and this epidemic has not gone away and has only gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that many of the benefits of the opioid disaster emergency declaration are now accomplished through other means, it is clear renewing the declaration is unnecessary. As it stands, many bills have been introduced to combat the opioid crisis and we plan to work collaboratively with the administration and make this a top legislative priority this fall,” Benninghoff said.

“The ongoing public health crisis brought on by opioid use continues to challenge the people and communities across Pennsylvania. While the actions taken to date by the Wolf administration and the General Assembly are not lost, it is more important that we advance those actions in a more collaborative manner to combat the opioid epidemic,” said Ward. “The Pennsylvania Senate is committed to working with the Wolf administration on a legislative agenda that will help to eradicate the opioid issue in the towns, cities and rural communities across our Commonwealth. Allowing the emergency declaration to expire is not downgrading the importance of this issue. It is eliminating barriers allowing government to work better together to help Pennsylvanians.”

Proposal Would Align State Regulations with Federal Regulations and Clarify Pipeline Operator’s Responsibility for Safe Operation

 

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today moved to seek public comment on proposed amendments to state pipeline safety regulations which would align with federal pipeline safety regulations concerning the operation and maintenance of service lines for natural gas or other gas by pipeline.

The Commission voted 4-0 to approve the tentative implementation order and gather comments from concerned parties.

The tentative implementation order proposes revisions to clarify that a public utility pipeline operator is responsible for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the pipe, regardless of whether the service line is owned by the utility or the customer.

The proposed revisions would also require that the public utility perform repairs or renewals of customer-owned service lines upstream of the meter, and that the public utility may bill the customer for all costs for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a customer’s service line upstream of the inlet of the meter serving the customer, in accordance with its tariff.  The customer would be responsible for repairs or renewals downstream of the meter, and the public utility could shut off gas service until such repairs are made to ensure safe and reliable gas service.
Public Comment

The Commission is seeking comment on the proposed amendments to pipeline regulations, along with comments on a broad range of related financial and customer-service related issues, including:

• Cost recovery for repairs and maintenance to customer-owner service lines.
• The ability to include costs in a utility’s Distribution System Improvement Change.
• Service termination for non-payment of costs or refusal to provide access for repairs.
• Capitalization of costs in a utility’s base rates, rather than charging individual customers.
• Tariff language related to billing, collection and rates.
• Utility communication with customers about costs, billing and scheduling of repairs.
• Access to customer property to complete required repairs.
• Other related issues that concerned parties may wish to raise.

The tentative implementation order will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and posted on the PUC website. Interested parties may submit written comments at Docket No. L 2020-3019417 within 40 days of publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Comments should be eFiled through the Commission’s eFiling System (per the Commission’s Emergency Order dated March 20, 2020). You may set up a free eFiling account with the Commission at https://efiling.puc.pa.gov/. Filing instructions are available on the Commission’s website at http://www.puc.pa.gov/filing_resources.aspx.

Public documents filed relative to this proceeding will be available for inspection by searching under the docket number for this proceeding on the Commission’s website at https://www.puc.pa.gov/search/document-search/.

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Governor Tom Wolf issued a statement  Thursday on the death of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:

The Governor said “I extend my deepest condolences to the Trumka family. Our commonwealth and our nation have lost a good man and a great leader, and we grieve his loss with you.

“Rich came from a coal mining family here in Pennsylvania. He knew the value – and the cost – of hard work. In his life and career, he was an indefatigable advocate for American workers. As the head of one of our nation’s leading labor organizations, Rich was a strong supporter of the rights of workers, and a proponent of laws and policies that safeguard those rights.

“Rich stood up for the working class people who built our nation, and for the democracy that keeps our nation strong. He will be missed.”

Richard Trumka, longtime president of AFL-CIO, dies at 72
By BRIAN SLODYSKO and THOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The longtime president of the AFL-CIO labor organization has died at age 72. Richard Trumka had been AFL-CIO president since 2009, after serving as the organization’s secretary-treasurer for 14 years. President Joe Biden eulogized Trumka from the White House on Thursday and said the labor leader had died of a heart attack while on a camping trip. Trumka led a federation with more than 12.5 million members and ushered in a more aggressive style of leadership. Larry Cohen, a former president of the Communications Workers of America, who had known Trumka for decades, said Trumka’s death was a “devastating” loss for labor, in part because of his long-standing relationship with Biden.

Keystone State News Connection

August 6, 2021

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania residents have until next week to enroll in a plan through the state’s health-insurance marketplace, Pennie.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the marketplace extended its COVID-19 special enrollment period for anyone who is uninsured or underinsured to August 15.

The federal stimulus package also eliminated the cap to get financial assistance for their insurance. Previously, under the Affordable Care Act, residents only were eligible for help if they made less than 400% of the federal poverty level.

Joanne Grossi, Pennsylvania state director for AARP, said because the financial support lasts through 2022, it will make affordable insurance much more accessible.

“The Pennsylvania Insurance Department is telling us right now that 72% of the people enrolled in the marketplace are paying $50 a month or less for their premiums, and 50% are only paying $1 a month or less for their premiums,” Grossi reported. “So this is a really important time to make sure you enroll in the marketplace.”

Nearly 700,000 people in Pennsylvania do not have health insurance.

Grossi pointed out so far, it appears the special enrollment period is a one-time offer. However, if at any point during the year an individual has a so-called “qualifying life event,” they would be able to get coverage through the marketplace, outside of open enrollment. These events include losing income, losing health coverage, getting married, having a child, getting divorced, and more.

Grossi emphasized trained counselors are available to help for people who may need assistance in finding a plan that’s right for them.

“This is free assistance for you, people on the other end of the phone or in person or on the other end of the computer who can give you free, neutral advice,” Grossi explained. “Because again, you want to know if your doctor is in network, what amount of money can you afford for a premium. It’s very complicated.”

Pennie’s open-enrollment period runs annually from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15.

Fitch Rating Service recently affirmed Heritage Valley Health System’s rating of “AA– with a Stable Outlook,” based on the organization‘s strong  financial profile, solid management team and Fitch‘s expectation that volumes will return to pre pandemic levels. Fitch also took into account the health system’s expanding market share, sizable employed physician group and growing outpatient service network. Heritage Valley was able to maintain its current rating despite competition in the greater Pittsburgh area healthcare market and increased operating expenses associated with the state-mandated response to the coronavirus pandemic. The system’s strong balance sheet provided a cushion against operating  volatilities experienced in fiscal years 2020 and 2021. 

“There‘s no doubt that this has been a difficult year,” states Norm Mitry, President and CEO of Heritage Valley Health System. “We are very proud of our medical staff, leadership team, nurses, ancillary staff and support personnel for their commitment to both our community and our health system. This level of dedication allowed our organization to maintain its strong Fitch  rating, even during a pandemic.” Mr. Mitry added that “We are also extremely grateful for the support shown by our community, from both an operational and philanthropic perspective.” 

Heritage Valley Health System operates 580 beds at three acute care hospitals located in Beaver, Sewickley and Kennedy Township, along with a significant number of outpatient facilities in the northwest tier of Allegheny County, Beaver County and eastern Ohio. The health system is in the process of expanding services at its recently acquired Kennedy location (formerly known as Ohio Valley Hospital), including outpatient surgeries, rehabilitation services and inpatient adult psych.