Ghost town. The halls of the capitol were dark this week as the General Assembly was not in active session and staff were all working from home. However, some news did bubble up from under the dome. House Speaker Mike Turzai continued to tout his legislation, House Bill 2400, that would provide a blanket waiver for all public and private construction activities to resume work as long as they adhere to the CDC Coronavirus safety protocols. GO HERE to see a copy of Rep. Turzai’s press release. As it pertains to the highway construction industry, the effects of such legislation are unknown given….
Limited Restart. By midweek, PennDOT announced that 61 highway and bridge construction projects are deemed “emergency and critical” and have allowed them to resume under strict safety protocols. APC has been at the forefront of this effort and has been keeping members updated. GO HERE to jump to an exclusive page on our website that will provide more information on this limited restart.
Stay at Home. By now everyone is likely aware of the new orders by Governor Wolf that all 67 counties in Pennsylvania are now under a Stay at Home Order through April 30. GO HERE to view the guidelines on what this order means to you.
Budgetary Impacts. The annual state budget process was humming along until the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. Now, the state’s fiscal picture is very much a fuzzy mess. Legislators are scrambling to determine how this will require a reshaping of the FY 2020-21 state fiscal budget. PA Department of Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell reported that $4.4 billion was collected in March which was 6.2% less than projected. But, the year-to-date total is only .2% below estimate. That, however, is likely to change drastically. In regard to the state highway funds, it was reported that the Motor License Fund received $217.7 million for the month, $6.5 million below estimate. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund — which include the commonly known gas and diesel taxes, as well as other license, fine and fee revenues — total $2 billion, which is $21.3 million, or 1 percent, below estimate.
