Senate Passes Bill Preventing Gasoline Price Spike, Shortage

The state Senate voted nearly unanimously this week to

The vote is an important step in reviewing outdated fuel mandates that are hurting consumers and businesses in the region. These mandates have been a growing problem in recent years and the closure of fuel refineries in the southeastern part of the state makes this effort more urgent.

Senate Bill 1386, is aimed at ending the requirement for summer-fuel blends in seven Pittsburgh-area counties.

Since 1996, gas retailers in those counties have been required to sell a unique blend of gasoline with lower evaporation rates to prevent pollution in hot weather. The regional blends required under the regulations have become increasingly scarce, causing price spikes and low supplies.

The announcement that three major oil refineries in southeastern Pennsylvania will suspend operations has raised concern of extreme shortages and high prices this summer.

Before the Senate vote, I told my colleagues on the Senate floor that the regulation’s limited effectiveness at preventing pollution will be undone by short supplies.

There are more than 2 million people in the counties affected by this regulation, and most of them are a 20-mile drive away from a gas station outside the regulations. When a gas shortage hits, people are not going to stay home from work and wait for the next delivery. They’re going to go find gas.

The resulting consumption is likely to outweigh any limited benefit from the summer-gas requirements.

We're in a radically different place now than we were when these requirements were established in the '90s. 

It’s time to modernize the law to reflect the modernization of the automobile industry. It’s time to end these outdated mandates and provide relief for our taxpayers who are already staring at $4 gallons of gasoline.

The affected counties are Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Westmoreland, and Washington.

Texting While Driving Now Illegal in Pennsylvania

Senate Bill 314 passed the Senate and was signed by Gov. Tom Corbett in November, with the provision that it take effect in 120 days.

It’s going to be a challenge to enforce because talking on a cell phone is still legal.

But a study by the Virginia Tech Driving Institute revealed that those who text while driving are 23 times more likely to end up in a crash.

In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, and an estimated 448,000 were injured.

Under the new law, drivers are prohibited from using their phone or any similar device for the purposes of reading, writing or sending a text message while driving a motor vehicle.

The ban applies to using apps on a cell phone including email and social media, but does not apply to entering a telephone number or talking on a cell phone.

Texting while driving is considered a primary offense, meaning a police officer can pull a driver over if the officer sees a driver texting.

If convicted of texting while driving under the new ban, a driver faces a fine of $50, plus costs, for each infraction. The state-wide texting ban will replace all local ordinances related to cell phone use. 

Pennsylvania now joins more than 30 other states that already have a texting while driving ban.

Health and Safety Fair is this Thursday

One of my busiest events of the year is the annual Health and Safety Fair, held at the Washington Crown Center.

Scheduled to coordinate with March being American Red Cross Month, the event brings together state agencies and private companies, along with veterans groups, and emergency services organizations.

This Thursday, volunteers will staff dozens of booths set up along the wide aisles of the mall to offer important health and safety information to local residents.

The event, co-sponsored by state and , is popular among homeowners, seniors and young families. It will run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.