Scarnati Aide: "No Conversation" Between Corbett's Commission and Senate R Leaders
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Scott Detrow
For months, Governor Tom Corbett has been urging the General Assembly to hold off on passing an impact fee and other natural gas drilling legislation until his Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission issues its report. Corbettâs warnings grew gradually stronger, culminating in a veto threat in the final week of budget negotiations.
The panel votes on recommendations Friday, and releases its full findings on July 22. But already, Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnatiâs chief of staff is minimizing the commissionâs impact on drilling policy.
âThereâs going to be significant legislative independence on this moving forward,â Drew Crompton told Capitolwire ($). âHow that plays out exactly, we donât know yet. We donât have any sense of what the commission is going to recommend. Weâve had virtually no contact with them.â
In an interview with StateImpact, Crompton was a bit more nuanced. âIt comes down to two things,â he said. âThe fee, and everything else.â
On the âeverything elseâ front â safety regulations, economic development and other factors â Crompton said he expects the commissionâs findings to make a âsignificant impactâ on future bills. âI think theyâre going to be helpful,â he said.
As for language within an impact fee? âWill we change our fee [SB 1100] in light of what the commission outlines? I donât know. I donât know at all what the commission plans on recommending.â And thatâs Cromptonâs larger problem. He said Senate Republicans have largely been in the dark on the 30-member panelâs deliberations. âAs far as having some rapport with them, that has not occurred. I sit here today not having any indication on whatâs going to be recommended or voted upon.â Crompton said Scarnati and Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley, who heads the commission, did have a few one-on-one conversations early on. âBut anything in the last few weeks, or even in the last couple of monthsâŠwhen their recommendations have been coming into shape, we havenât had any input on that at all,â he said. âThereâs been no conversation during that period of time.â
Crompton boiled down his warning of âlegislative independenceâ to a political reality: the fact commission members havenât communicated with lawmakers, as well as the fact no senators or representatives were asked to sit on the panel. âThatâs theâŠsituation they chose by not putting any legislators on the commission,â he explained. âThey canât think the [General Assembly] is going to adopt verbatim [legislation it] didnât influence. Thatâs not meant to be hostile â itâs the reality of how they made the commission.â
UPDATE 6:15 PM:
In a brief phone interview, Cawleyâs spokesman, Chad Saylor, pushed back against Cromptonâs complains. âThereâs always more that can be done to keep 253 [lawmakers] up to speed,â he said, âthe Lieutenant Governor did his best. He had numerous meetings with legislators. More are planned, including with Democrats.â
He continued, âWeâve had legislators testify before the commission [and] submit information in writing to us. Their input, to the best of our ability, has been included.â