Pennsylvania House Mark B. Cohen

1 pennsylvania house

1.1 house labor relations committee
1.2 human services committee
1.3 appointments recent speakers

pennsylvania house

cohen elected pennsylvania house of representatives in special election on may 21, 1974. 24 years old. officially nominated special election democratic nominee vacant house seat executive committee of democratic state committee. endorsed philadelphia daily news columnist chuck stone on may 20, 1974 in page 10 column.

he assigned democratic leader herbert fineman house bipartisan committee study situations , circumstances of victims of rape, chaired rep. richard mcclachey. in 1975, cohen voted house bill 580, restructured law of rape evidence of victim s prior sexual conduct irrelevant in order rape no longer offense in state victim has establish own conduct. reason is irrelevant in establishing whether person or not raped.

fineman later appointed him secretary of state government committee , chairman of public utility subcommittee of consumer protection committee. cohen appointed special committee investigate 3 mile island accident @ 3 mile island nuclear generating station democratic (minority) leader k. leroy irvis. on december 19, 2012, democratic leader frank dermody , house speaker samuel h. smith (politician) announced appointment 2013-2014 legislative session democratic chairman of pennsylvania house state government committee.

as member of consumer protection committee in 1975-1976, , vice-chairman , chairman of public utilities subcommittee of name-changed consumer affairs committee in 1977-1978, both led mr. consumer, c.l. schmitt, cohen helped enact vigorous pro-consumer agenda. calling pennsylvania s retail fair trade law—which allowed manufactures set minimum price sale of product-- noble experiment has failed, cohen prime sponsor of legislation repeal it, exception cigarettes.

on january 28, 1975, co-sponsored bill establishing consumer advocate argue public interests before public utility commission of pennsylvania, milk marketing board, , insurance commissioner. bill passed house , went senate committee on consumer affairs. there bill limited public utility commission of pennsylvania, sent house, rewritten conference committee, , enacted. writing in 2010, chair of senate consumer affairs committee in 1975, franklin l. kury, called legislative creation of consumer advocate single important step in improving puc.

to deal plant closings, major threat pennsylvania workers, cohen, following enactments of states of maine , wisconsin in 1971 , 1976 respectively, introduced state legislation similar , foreshadowing federal worker adjustment , retraining notification act. cohen s 1977 bill provided 75 days advance notice plant closings. in may, 1979, introduced house bill 1251, more comprehensive employee protection , community stabilization act. legislation , vigorous citizen/labor/clergy campaign led delaware valley coalition jobs (dvcj) helped lead enactment of 60 day advance notice plant closing legislation city of philadelphia, which, in turn, helped inspire federal 60 day advance notice requirement enacted in 1988.

cohen supported homeowners emergency mortgage assistance program (hemap), enacted in 1983 pennsylvania foreclosure prevention act, gave delayed interest payment loans 45,000 families keep them being foreclosed. voted it, house bill 500, on june 29, 1983, after joining others vote down series of weakening amendments. supported bill—with language amended in senate—on december 14, 1983. approved governor richard thornburgh on december 23, 1983. in june 30, 2009 press release calling $20 million annual hemap appropriation, said that, since inception, $211 million appropriated hemap, , $238 million has been repaid. on november 3, 2011, speaking @ prayer vigil in front of governor tom corbett s philadelphia office building in support of emergency hemap funding, said program generated more money paid back, including interest, money appropriated, doesn t cost much.

he actively opposed legislation regulating operation of adjustable-rate mortgage did not place cap on upward rate adjustments caused higher inflation.

as member of philadelphia delegation in house, actively opposed —and helped kill— mayoral proposals raise philadelphia wage tax in middle of fiscal year in mid-1970s , 1980s, saying, example, 1976 mid-year wage tax increase encourage enormous amount of waste in philadelphia city government.

he supported legislation made ward realignments in philadelphia more difficult none have occurred since, requiring ward realignment plan approved common pleas court sent philadelphia city council consideration , placement on ballot.

he voted make office of attorney general elected office.

as member of house appropriations committee in 1981, interrogated secretary of health , welfare helen o bannon on extent of legislature s duty follow order federal judge raymond j. broderick appropriate $900,000 special master in long-running halderman v. pennhurst state school , hospital litigation. questions , answers cited both judge broderick , third circuit court of appeals part of obstruction of order, leading , department of public welfare held in contempt of court, , office of special master (in charge of deinstitutionalization of pennhurst patients better treated in community settings) funded. ultimately, cohen s support, deinstitutionalization led closing of 6 of more 20 pennsylvania state hospitals, , hundreds of millions of dollars saved each year.

cohen house democrat join house republicans in opposing allowing objectionable appropriation of $150,000 office of republican pennsylvania general counsel jay waldman delay payment of checks 80,000 welfare recipients.

in 2013-2014 legislative session has sponsored on 1,460 bills , resolutions, more other house member.

cohen s house-passed legislation requiring state purchasing preference american manufactured products of similar price, value , usefulness hailed pennsylvania afl-cio president richard bloomingdale important boost american manufacturing pennsylvania manufacturing , working people employed in manufacturing sector ... encourage state senate pass legislation, put pennsylvania , america work.

non-controversial resolutions cohen introduced passed house unanimously included house resolution 47, recognizing asian pacific american heritage month; house resolution 153, recognizing jewish american heritage month; house resolution 347, recognizing 100th anniversary of julia ward howe school; house resolution 458, recognizing national voter registration day; house resolution 512, recognizing national disability employment awareness month, house resolution 551, recognizing national memory screening day, , house resolution 569, recognizing 75th anniversary of kristallnacht, night of broken glass, key event in genocide of jewish people nazi germany.

house labor relations committee

as result of appointments speakers k. leroy irvis , james j. manderino in 1980s, cohen served chairman of house labor relations committee 1983 1990, focused on increasing minimum wage , protecting worker s compensation benefits. initial appointment in 1983 seen philadelphia inquirer 1 of number of signs philadelphia delegation apparently regaining significant influence in general assembly 1983-1984 session begins.

cohen s amendment whistleblower bill, passed house , senate, , 1 of more extensive in nation, covering private sector employees reporting waste , wrongdoing public sector employees reporting waste , wrongdoing, terms defined in statute.

cohen began labor relations committee chairmanship participating in public , private negotiations aimed @ finding solution ensure solvency in pennsylvania s unemployment compensation fund in order preserve unemployment benefits.

his longterm efforts raise pennsylvania s minimum wage in accordance rises in inflation, coupled aggressive statewide organizing led philadelphia unemployment project , pennsylvania labor unions, helped lead minimum wage increase bill signings governors robert p. casey in 1988 , edward g. rendell in 2006. pennsylvania minimum wage increases part of nationwide effort among state legislators helped organize. beginning of efforts, saw raising minimum wage match inflation longterm process, saying after initial minimum wage increase, come next time , fight vigorously. advocacy increased minimum wages continued after 2006 increase, too. in 2013, introduced legislation seeking minimum wage of $9 hour.

his efforts chairman of house labor relations committee won him award pennsylvania chamber of commerce , enthusiastic praise of president of pennsylvania afl-cio.

a supporter of equal pay equal work , equal pay women, supported proposed bill seeking raise salaries of people in largely female occupations initiated pennsylvania human relations commission, stymied when yielded political pressures , came out in opposition own bill.

he served member of house select committee on farm labor, investigating plight of farm laborer in pennsylvania, chaired rep. james j. a. gallagher, , worked enforce 1978 seasonal farm labor act. upon listening testimony farm workers, said shocked state government has shown lack of vigor , compassion in protection of farm laborers. sought farmworker justice, seeking enforce state laws protecting each farmworker. years later, continue press increased legal farmworkers. decades later, serve member of honorary committee friends of farmworkers 30th anniversary celebration.

a may, 1986 labor relations committee study of length of time took injured workers worker s compensation benefits, conducted under cohen s direction, found took disabled workers average of 10 months decision on eligibility. s long, said. current system little create pressure better safety practices, , lessens workers respect employers. cohen sought remedial legislation deal workers compensation problems. pennsylvania chamber of commerce offered own reform program. ultimately, elements of both plans took effect.

he held hearings on problems related drug testing, , introduced legislation requiring companies using drug testing offer employee assistance programs (eap), more rigorous confirmation tests , opportunities workers reform themselves. essay , eric fillman wrote in support of such legislation state government news reprinted in 2 anthology textbooks on business ethics professors @ depaul university college of saint benedict , saint john s university , cited in 2 others professors @ salisbury university. cohen , fillman wrote counterpoint question employee drug testing answer? in addition describing , advocating cohen s legislation, wrote ultimate goal of employers should prevent further drug use, not reinforce abuse adding reasons employee turn drugs, such loss of job. firing otherwise productive workers on basis of drug tests not satisfactory answer problems of drug abuse in workplace.

he stopped reporting out of legislation hostile goals of pennsylvania labor movement.

urging support of higher minimum wage, spoke @ called labor day rally after period of time in average philadelphia labor leader had stopped hosting labor day events due member disinterest. rally marked long-term resumption of tri-state labor day events in philadelphia. has continued participate in labor day events.

due retirements of democratic successors labor relations committee chairman fred belardi, frank pistella, , robert belfanti, cohen member of house democratic caucus in 2013-2014 legislative session experience of having been majority chairman of house labor relations committee.

human services committee

he appointed democratic leader frank dermody democratic (minority) chair of key human services committee in december, 2010, worked closely republican (majority) chair gene digirolamo. 1 of digirolamo-cohen bills sought enact tougher regulation of for-profit methadone clinics. cohen opposed opening of for-profit methadone clinics near legislative district. second digirolamo-cohen bill establishes pharmaceutical accountability monitoring system in order detect pharmaceutical drug abuse , substance use disorders people addiction them.

both cohen , digirolamo worked see human services programs adequately funded in period of budget cutting. both actively participated in department of public welfare s appropriations committee budget hearing. chairman of house democratic policy committee hailed cohen longtime advocate of human services programs , leader restore funding in year s spending plan.

digiralamo , cohen held hearing on house bill 272 ease treatments of lyme disease, of cohen co-sponsor. chances of enacting legislation limited opposition of medical society of state of pennsylvania due concerns antibiotic resistance , legislation s (1) guaranteeing of insurance company reimbursement of long-term use of antibiotic prescriptions , (2) requiring high level of representation international lyme , associated diseases society on newly created task force on lyme disease , related diseases.

both digirolamo , cohen publicly opposed governor tom corbett s refusal start newly established department of drug , alcohol programs required law had both actively supported, of digirolamo prime sponsor. on november 1, 2011, held public hearing in harrisburg in both confronted corbett administration anti-department of drug , alcohol programs advocates. cohen said governor under pressure insurance companies not wanting cover drug , alocohol programs in policies , existing bureaucrats locked in turf war, governor s office flatly denied.

appointments recent speakers

by appointment of current house speaker samuel h. smith, continues service on pennsylvania council on arts, has served since fall 1995 appointment house speaker matthew j. ryan. senior member of council.

he member of speaker of house dennis m. o brien s commission on legislative reform, , of work groups of speaker s symposium on crime , violence. 1 of speaker o brien s speakers pro tempore. o brien appointed him executive committee of council of state governments.