Capitol GUESSES

The year will soon come to an end, and that means it will not be long until the General Assembly starts its new session in January.

Trying to figure out what will be on the plate for legislators during the next session is anybody's guess.

But here are what a chamber president, lobbyists and lawmakers hope are tackled and not tackled on Capitol Hill next year.

"Lowering business taxes - they (the Legislature) haven't addressed it enough," said Harriet Faren, president of Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce. "We feel they (business taxes) are unfair, excessive and do not make Pennsylvania competitive."

In comparison with other states, Pennsylvania does not provide enough incentive for businesses to open here, Faren said. And healthcare costs are another issue Eaten said the General Assembly needs to address.

Many employers carry health insurance for their employees, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to cover most of the cost, Eaten said. Employees are being asked to pitch in more from their paychecks for health insurance.

"It costs the employee more, or they become underinsured or not insured at all," Faren said.

Environmental reform is another issue LVCC hopes is brought to the table next session. The state's environmental regulations for companies are set above federal standards and are bad for business, Faren said.

David Taylor, executive director of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association in Harrisburg, made the same point about the state's environmental regulations.

Taylor also wants to see the Legislature reform worker's compensation laws and control government spending. He said politicians in Harrisburg should not be allowed to spend taxpayer money faster than it is earned by taxpayers.

The state should also adopt The Fair Share Act, which would even the playing field for companies that are asked to pay the entire amount of employees' health-care costs even though they are not entirely responsible for their injuries, Tay lot said.

"Right now, there is the deeppockets rule. Even if you are not entirely responsible for a worker's injury, if the other party cannot pay, you are responsible," Taylor said.

If adopted, the Fair Share Act would not hold an employer responsible for an employee's entire medical bill should other parties share the blame for an injury. If multiple parties are responsible for an accident, even if all cannot pay, the employer is not made to pay all costs.

Money is on many observers' minds when the topic of the General Assembly and issues it should address is raised.

The Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors does not want to see the state earn extra money on additional taxes placed on homeowners, said Kathy Ludwig, executive vice president for the GHAR.

GHAR is against impact fees and increases to realty transfer tax and property taxes, Faren said.

"We want people to be able to afford homes," Ludwig said. "An overall objective of ours is to not have anything impede housing affordability."

Taxes are always an issue for the General Assembly, and next session will be no exception. Senate Majority Whip Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin and York counties) will push for the lowering of several taxes.

Piccola wants to cut the corporate net income tax rate, establish a single sales factor for CNI, work to keep the personal income tax low and ensure the governor follows the law for the phase out of the capital stock and franchise tax.

The senator would like to see employment and health-care costs lowered to meet the rates of other states and will support the re-enactment of the Fair Share Act of 2002.

Overall, Piccola wants to see less governmental interference when it comes to regulations imposed on the business community.

"Reduce hidden and unnecessary costs caused by government red tape," Piccola said.

Pennsylvania state employee and school district employee pensions are on the mind of state Rep. Steven Nickol (RAdams and York counties). And he thinks they should be a priority for the General Assembly next session or soon after.

"We have to look at it because as it stands now, we are defying reality," Nickol said. "In both cases, we (the state) are contributing a floor rate of 4 percent, and next year it will go down to zero.

Nickol introduced House Bill 2562, which would require the state to continue to contribute each year to both pensions or by 2013 each will see double-digit leaps, he said.

"The employer rate needs to gradually increase, or it will spike much higher in 2013," Nichol said. "We keep putting it off."

Public transportation funding and school funding are two other issues Nickol said he hopes the General Assembly addresses next year.

As it stands now, 62 percent of state subsidies provided to school districts are based on growth figures dating back to 1991, Nickol said. And although 150 school districts are growing, 350 are dropping in population, and many districts growing at a rapid rate are underfunded, Nickol said.

"It has to be dealt with. It gets worse every year," Nickol said. "And after 16 years, there is disparity."