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Post by davetm on Feb 14, 2013 11:46:37 GMT -5
Now, help me out with this as my "political knowledge" is limited. (I try to ignore these guys to keep my blood pressure under control) The HB must now go to the Senate and pass, then on to Corbett to be signed into law? Correct?
So...right now...it's just a "pipe dream." (In the pipe line)
Dave
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Post by melody on Feb 14, 2013 21:50:08 GMT -5
Yep....past the first hurdle, 2 more to go.
Word is, the Senate has a few changes of their own, so they will probably amend the bill, which will cause it to need to go back to the House for a concurrance vote before going to the Governor.
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Post by melody on Jun 19, 2013 10:34:38 GMT -5
Calls Needed Immediately. The Future of our Fundraising Efforts in Pennsylvania is at Stake! The Pennsylvania Senate will soon vote on a bill that will drastically impact our ability to hold fundraising banquets. As you know, these banquets are the life blood that supports all of the good work that our groups do. This includes PANWTF, QDMA, PF, PFSC, NRA, etc. Under current law, many of the aspects of our fundraising models are prohibited. This includes most of the raffles and games that take place at your local banquet.
We urgently need to generate some phone calls. Here is where we are: The Senate decided Monday to move a bill to "fix" the issues with Small Games of Chance. We learned yesterday afternoon that this bill could be voted upon in the next day or two! As of right now, they have not fixed our issues. HB 290 is the most likely vehicle that will move. We are continuing to work to have our language added before the bill is voted on. This decision will likely happen over the next 24-48 hours.
We urgently need calls to the following Senators: Senator Ward: 717-787-6063 kward@pasen.gov Senator Scarnati: 717- 787-7084 jscarnati@pasen.gov Senator Pillegi : 717-787-4712 dpileggi@pasen.gov Senator Gordner: 717-787-8928 jgordner@pasen.gov Senator Vulakovich 717-787-6538 rvulakovich@pasen.gov; Senator Fontana : 717-787-5300 fontana@pasenate.com Senator Smith: 717-787-5839 senatorsmith@pasenate.com; Senator Wiley: 717-787-8927 senatorwiley@pasenate.com; Take Action! Please call these members as soon as possible. Tell them sportsmen and women are counting on them. Tell them to "Support the Conservation Organization Fix!"
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Post by melody on Oct 23, 2013 15:05:26 GMT -5
Senate passed HB 290 today. The bill was amended in committee yesterday, and I'm hoping it still has the needed changes proposed by the sportsmen/conservation groups last spring, but haven't had time to review the newest version yet.
HB 290 Brooks, Michele (R) Amends Small Games of Chance Act further providing for definitions; further providing for games of chance permitted, for prize limits, for limited sales, for distributor licenses, for regulations & licensing of eligible organizations.
10-23-13 Final Passage (Vote Y: 45/N: 5)
It now goes back to the House for concurrence vote. Let's hope the House doesn't screw it up!
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Post by davet on Oct 24, 2013 18:14:19 GMT -5
I'm not sure if I read this right or not. But it appears that they have removed the annual reporting requirement for all SGoC entities? If so, I think that's a bad move. I know of at least one "entity" that doesn't report all of their income. Not only to members, but to the IRS. This would be a measure that would go a long way to snag those entities that have longstanding boards who believe it's no longer a member organization, but it's their own personal business.
Dave
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Post by melody on Oct 24, 2013 19:24:26 GMT -5
The House delayed their concurrence vote yesterday on HB 290, the small games of chance expansion because of issues with another bill dealing with allowing taverns to hold small games of chance. House Republican leaders called off a vote for both bills, after concerns about recent Senate changes were revealed during a heated Rules Committee meeting Wednesday, on what would be a major expansion of gambling to taverns.
The amendments did eliminate reporting for groups that make less than $40,000/yr. in SGC income. If you feel some group is "hiding" income, you should ask for a formal investigation/audit of that group, either internally with the group, or from the AG.
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Post by davet on Oct 25, 2013 8:23:08 GMT -5
Thanks Melody. This group makes well over the $40,000, and I will give serious thought as to the second option.
Dave
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Post by davet on Nov 7, 2013 10:04:05 GMT -5
From what I can see, this bill is still dormant? So if nothing is done these proposed amendments are not going to pass and the law in it's present form will stay…..along with the onerous reporting standards?
Dave
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Post by melody on Nov 7, 2013 16:11:10 GMT -5
Our hope is....they will pick it back up next week, and vote on it. Right now, the tavern bill controversy is holding both bills up. But yes, if they don't soon pass it.....the current law will remain in effect, and all the provisions, like background checks, reporting, etc.....will remain in effect.
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Post by davet on Nov 8, 2013 9:15:01 GMT -5
AAHHHH….POLITICS…The great world of ….He did it so I couldn't vote that way…No, you could have….No, She did it…No, no no….He did it….No, it was the guy from upper Tyrone (Where the heck is upper Tyrone anyway? And who besides 3 people live there?) And yada, yada, yada. I think they blame everything on the guy from upper Tyrone, including the millions they wast every election in "redecorating" their offices.
But….let's not go there…..or let's not go to the fact that our State has per-capita the most paid legislators than any other of the 50. I could puke in my boots an hunt in minus five degree weather every time I think about this. If I ran my Accounting Practice this way when I worked, I would be broke then, and broke today.
Dave
Did I "go off" too much?
I gotta go do some reloading. later….
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Post by melody on Nov 12, 2013 20:41:45 GMT -5
Both bills recommitted to House Rules today for amendments. Most of the talk is about HB 1098, but some rumors abound that an attempt will be made to amend HB 290 to not allow any SGC events held anywhere there's a liquor license, which would pretty much put most of us out of business. Here's an article from today: Small games of chance expansion into bars draws opposition from veterans groups, but may roll anywaywww.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/11/small_games_of_chance_expansio.htmlBy Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on November 12, 2013 at 3:25 PM, updated November 12, 2013 at 3:37 PM On the whole, Pennsylvania lawmakers don’t like to butt heads with Pennsylvania veterans. This week may prove to be an exception. House Republican leaders are preparing for a vote this week on legislation that would permit bars and taverns to begin offering small games of chance to their customers. Leaders of Pennsylvania’s American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other veterans groups have argued – as recently as at a Rotunda rally on Tuesday morning - that losing what's been their traditional monopoly on in-club raffles, drawings and other games will be a death knell for them in many communities. And that, they contend, will ultimately mean less funding for community projects like 4th of July fireworks, youth sports leagues or projects aimed at making brighter Christmases for needy families that these groups support. As Exhibit A, they pointed to the extension of Sunday hours to bar and tavern licensees several years ago, another market that was once the exclusive province of the non-profit clubs. “We lost membership. We lost some clubs. And this small games of chance is going to do the exact same thing,” argued Kit Watson, the top day-to-day administrator for the American Legion in Pennsylvania. “There’s 10,000 or more bars in this state. There’s only 1,100 and some clubs…. And my contention is there’s only so much of a gambling dollar to go around.” The small games expansion, which is a major objective of the state’s bar and restaurant licensees, passed the state Senate last month. Those licensees have argued that it is a business enhancer that they need in Pennsylvania’s post-casino age. Bar owners who opt in would face a 60 percent tax on all small games proceeds. Not all non-profits are opposed to the bill. A group representing Pennsylvania’s fire companies, for example, has noted that a relaxation of some record-keeping requirements and a boost in their ability to keep 40 percent of games proceeds - up from the current 30 percent - make the bill good for them, too. But veterans groups and fraternal organizations, who often operate full-scale bars and restaurants, see the new language as a clear attack on their livelihoods. The problem could be aggravated in the rural areas where many times small VFW or American Legion posts may be the only private club in town. For those small operations, any loss of revenue and / or customer base could be fatal, noted Tom Helsel, government relations chair for the Pennsylvania Association of Nationally Chartered Organizations. Legislative supporters of the small games expansion argue it’s a big monetary win for the state, with estimates of $156 million annually in revenue from taxes and licensing fees once the program gets up and running. That’s based on preliminary estimates that 2,000 of Pennsylvania’s licensed bars and taverns would apply to play the games. So they were not yielding on that point as of Tuesday afternoon. Still, House Republicans were crafting an amendment Tuesday to the Senate-passed bill to try to lessen some of the veterans groups' concerns. One such plank would let non-profits that clear less than $40,000 from small games each year keep all of the first $20,000 in proceeds for its own uses. Only proceeds above $20,000 would be subject to the requirement that 60 percent go for charitable purposes. If that amendment is approved today, the bill could get final consideration in the House as early as tomorrow. The amended version would then require one more ratification vote in the Senate before going to Gov. Tom Corbett's desk. But after a meeting with House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County, club leaders said Tuesday that is not enough to win their support for any expansion of small games into commercial bars and taverns. “It may help some of the real small clubs,” Watson said. “It is not enough to make us change our position.”
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Post by davet on Nov 13, 2013 6:41:14 GMT -5
It will be interesting to see where this goes. Right now, here is the current law. I found this on the Crawford County web site. It's on a State letterhead and is the clearest explanation of the current law I've seen yet. Crawford Web site SGoC current law
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Post by melody on Nov 13, 2013 11:00:17 GMT -5
Urgent!! Calls needed ASAP!
HB 1098 was amended in Rules Committee last night, and was moved out of committee. It deals mostly with allowing taverns/restaurants to carry out SGC events and how the funds are used. The Veterans groups, VFW's, etc. are opposed to it. So to appease them, they are making some changes in HB 290. This is the bill we are concerned with as it contains the changes we need.
Here's the kicker: there's also an amendment being drafted that would make it illegal for any entity to hold any SGC event in any establishment with an LCB license. Which means just about every fundraiser held would now be illegal.
Please pass this along to any of your contact lists, and ask that they contact their Representatives and ask that they vote no to any amendments that would include this type of language on non-profits.
Allowing for-profit businesses to profit from SGC endeavors is bad enough, but if this Change is allowed, it will put us all out of business.
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Post by melody on Nov 13, 2013 11:51:13 GMT -5
Update!
We think we have the issue cleared up. Rep. Hanna will be introducing an amendment that removes the troubling portion that would not allow us to hold fundraising events in an establishment with a liquor license. The R's in the committee are on board as well. So please sit tight for now. Will keep you posted if anything changes and we need you to reach out to your representatives.
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Post by melody on Nov 13, 2013 11:53:32 GMT -5
Here' the report from yesterday's Veterans Rally:
VETERANS GROUPS RALLY AGAINST EXPANSION OF SMALL GAMES OF CHANCE TO TAVERNS By Catharine Conner, PLS 11/12/13
Holding signs that read, “Keep Small Games of Chance for Non-Profits Only – Remove Taverns from HB 1098,” the PA American Legion, PA VFW, and other veterans groups rallied today in the Capitol Rotunda to urge lawmakers to oppose the expansion of small games of chance to taverns.
Speaking on behalf of veteran service organizations, Kit Watson, Department Adjutant for the PA American Legion, emphasized that they are “adamantly opposed” to having taverns in small games operations and urged legislators to keep small games of chance for non-profits only. “We do not believe increasing gambling across the state is beneficial to our organizations. In fact, we believe it is going to hurt us substantially. There is only so much of the gambling dollar to go around and our contention is that if you are trying to balance the budget, do not balance it on the backs of veterans service organizations,” he stated.
Rep. Jesse White (D-Washington) thanked the veterans for their service to the nation. “Small games of chance are the lifeblood of what keeps these organizations going in our communities,” he stated. He explained that small games of chance was designed originally to make it easier for organizations to be able to keep their doors open to support their members. He stressed that this is about the members, the veterans, the firefighters, and the people who serve our communities. “What we need to be doing is making it easier for you to carry out your mission instead of making it harder,” he added.
Reflecting on all the sacrifices that veterans make by putting on the uniform and giving their time, talent, devotion and sacrifice to preserve our democracy, Rep. White suggested that elected officials honor their contribution by making sure that democracy continues to function once they come back home. “If this bill passes into law, this legislature will have failed you. I stand with you, I support you, and we need to make this about you. Thank you for your advocacy and let’s kill this bill,” he concluded.
Rep. Kevin Haggerty (D-Lackawanna) concurred with Rep. White’s remarks. He pointed out that these veterans groups do not get anything for free. “They raise the capital for their veterans clubs. They do it themselves. What do we do as a legislature? We make it harder for you and it is wrong. I am here today in unison with every member to see that this bill is killed as well,” he stated.
John Getz, State Adjutant and Quartermaster for the PA VFW, explained why they are opposed to HB 1098. If small games of chance is allowed in taverns, then that added competition could substantially hurt veteran organizations that are already struggling to stay afloat. “The small posts that we have out there will definitely fold because the income that we have today from small games of chance is not there anymore, people aren’t coming in and now we’re going to have to compete with the taverns,” he stated.
Getz emphasized the good that these organizations do in their communities from the money that they contribute to the help that they give. He pointed out that under the proposal, taverns will get 40 percent, with 60 percent going back to the state. “The VFW will be hurting because they will not be receiving these dollars. You have to understand that it is going to hurt our communities, hurt our VFWs, and hurt our legions. If it keeps up, we’re going to have at least 200 of them close in the next year or two. It’s going to be tough because right now everyone is struggling. Costs are going up, but our income is not going up,” he added. To illustrate the costs, Getz noted that right now they are allowed to keep 30 percent for operational expenses, like electricity. “Most of our clubs are to the point of where they take that 30 percent and are lucky to have $300- $400 per month. Our electricity costs us up to $1,500 per month,” he said.
Getz then discussed another concern with the current law. “Most of our clubs are to the point where they cannot give to an individual that needs help because the laws prevent it and says we can only donate money to a 501(c) operation. So, if there is a veteran or family in need in my community, legally, I cannot donate to them,” he stated and suggested changing the law.
Watson wrapped-up the rally by highlighting the fact that each one of the clubs is comprised of members of that community, who came together for a common good and raised money out of their pockets to support the club, and vote on where they want to contribute that money. “If you hand small games of chance over to taverns, the taverns are going to be the sole person…Our clubs are well known for taking care of the communities where they reside and that is what we want to maintain,” he concluded.
Rep. Deb Kula (D-Fayette) was also in attendance.
Watson then responded to questions from the media.
What percentage of your memberships are veterans? Watson: There are different clubs. There are the Moose, the Elks, the Eagles and they have different requirements. Our VFWs, which I’m a member of, the Legion, which I’m a member of, are comprised of only veterans. Different clubs have different groups of classifications, auxiliaries, Sons of the American Legion, American Legion Riders, and social members, which varies from club to club. I hail from Carmichaels, Pennsylvania and live in the Harrisburg area. My club has 352 members and they have roughly 70 auxiliary members, around 80 Sons of the American Legion, and no social members. Post 175 that I spoke at on Veterans Day has 1,135 regular members and I’m not sure how many auxiliary, but they have no social members. There are clubs that have no social members. Each club is autonomous in that respect and run their own entity. The two that I am associated with and spoke of have absolutely no social members.
There is an amendment to make the legislation more attractive to Legions and VFWs, are you opposing that as well? Watson: Well, there are lots of things being talked about. Actually, before this bill came out, they removed everything in it that was enticing to the clubs. I’m sure they’ll offer us those things back to try to garner our support on it. However, some of those things, we may already have. For instance, the 70 percent that now has to go into the community as a donation to a 501(c). Our clubs are 501(c)s, but the LCE clearly states that it is money laundering and you can’t give it back to the home association that raises the funds. You can’t donate it back. That’s a legal issue, which we think we are going to win. Whether they offer that to us as a caveat, we don’t know. We’ve been invited to some meetings after this and I’m sure some of those subjects will come up, but right now, there are no offers on the table.
VFW Commander: To reiterate, I would like to give you one scenario. The individual is Nick Staback. His grandfather was a member of the House of Representatives for 28 years. Unfortunately, this gentleman went to Afghanistan and had both legs blown off and injured his arm. We, by definition of the existing bills, cannot not donate anything. Put yourself in their shoes, their mothers and fathers, grandmothers and neighbors. We couldn’t legally give them a dime. This veteran was in the hospital for over a year. The bills were exorbitant and again our hands were tied. One of the things that we are insisting in this bill is that we can give to these veterans when they come home. I don’t see anyone in the areas that I lived in that can sustain the enormous amount of money that they had to incur. We do have money from our small games of chance and we are more than willing to give it to them, but the legislature, except for a few standing behind us, won’t allow it.
Did you try to enlist the Elks, Moose, and Eagles in your cause today? Watson: They actually support our cause and we have a PANCO representative here right now. PANCO representative: Yes we do.
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Post by dennyf on Nov 13, 2013 17:02:25 GMT -5
Tuned into PCN a bit too late to catch the disussion on amendments, but whatever they were, the legislation passed (w/amendments) 102 to 96 (or close to that), about 20 minutes ago. House is now adjourned for the day.
I believe it goes back to the Senate for concurrence?
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Post by galthatfishes on Nov 13, 2013 20:03:02 GMT -5
Yep. Its the bill the tavern folks wanted, not the ones the non-profits wanted. They screwed the nonprofit over a few years back, and are moving FOR profit small games of chance first.
Can anyone say SPECIAL INTEREST?
Wonder who is related to tavern owners over there? <sigh>
Fix what you F'ed up before you move on.
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Post by davet on Nov 14, 2013 14:38:17 GMT -5
IMHO…..none of this is going to "fly." At this point, it's so convoluted that each member can point a finger at the other and say it's their fault. And to that I say……vote out the incumbent.
Dave
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Post by galthatfishes on Nov 14, 2013 15:56:44 GMT -5
GRIP Dave. GET RID OF INCUMBENT POLITITIANS.
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Post by davet on Nov 27, 2013 9:14:35 GMT -5
Update….It appears that HB 1098 has now passed both the house and senate, and has been Presented to the Governor, Nov. 19, 2013 for his signature. This, as I read it….and I could be wrong.. appears to just deal with the selling of SGoC by for profit taverns and grocery stores. I don't see anything that changes the reporting for not for profits of those who have "club" license (not for profits who have a liquor license) or those non for profits who simply have a SGoC license.
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Post by melody on Nov 27, 2013 15:19:51 GMT -5
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Post by dcheckman on Nov 27, 2013 23:12:54 GMT -5
Melody... Another Fantastic... Did all the Conservation Org's amendments get approved?
Conservation Org's had a fantastic support group working for them. Takes us back to the days when legislation was passed for Mentored Youth, Poacher's Bill, Increased Fines and Penalties, Spring Creek Canyon, the last PGC Hunting License Increase, and a few other positive legislative bills with Governor signature. Positive Results from a Positive Dialogue! Don...
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Post by melody on Nov 28, 2013 0:11:19 GMT -5
For the most part.....yes!
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