HARRISBURG – PennLive is reporting… State legislators are one step closer to cracking down on the use of fireworks in Pennsylvania. The state Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on Monday voted 6-5 to approve a bill that would impose restrictions on the use of fireworks in the state, after the state House voted 160-39 on the same bill earlier this month. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration. However, even if passed before the Fourth of July and signed by Gov. Tom Wolf, the new law wouldn’t take effect for 60 days. Pennsylvanians would be restricted to using fireworks between 10 a.m.–10 p.m. if the bill passes through the General Assembly, but exceptions would be made annually on July 2-4 and Dec. 31, pushing the final time to 1 a.m. the following day. Additionally, it allows for exceptions to Memorial Day and Labor Day including the Saturday and Sunday before those holidays.
This proposal is based on recent complaints that the danger has grown since the passing of a 2017 law that allowed for the sale of commercial-grade fireworks as long as they meet the federal consumer standard. Before then, sales in Pennsylvania were restricted to novelty fireworks, such as sparklers or poppers. Rep. Frank Farry, R-Bucks County and sponsor of the bill, said in his testimony that he consulted with local municipalities, first responder organizations, the Humane Society and agricultural representatives to draft the bill. Local municipalities would hold the power to ban the use and sale of commercial grade fireworks if their jurisdiction doesn’t have an area that they deem safe to use them under the proposed law. Nearby livestock housing facilities would also need to be given at least a three-day written warning before setting the fireworks off.
The bill also seeks to alter the fireworks tax so that the $14 million it generates annually would be given to various emergency services. This would be a major change to the tax revenue distribution, which currently allocates just one-sixth of its revenue to emergency services. Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming County — author of the 2017 law and harsh critic of firework regulations — went against his past comments and voted in support of HB2157. He said that he supported the increase in penalties that the law would bring. Anyone that violates current state regulations is charged a $100 fine, but first-time violators would pay a $500 fine for their first offense under the new legislation. For any more offenses within three years of the first, they would be charged with a third degree misdemeanor on top of a $1,000 fine. Current laws on fireworks prohibit their use on public or private property without permission from the property owner, inside a vehicle or building and within 150 feet of a home, office or related building.
Fure Fedikhnol
(NEXSTAR/AP) – Nextar & AP are reporting… President Biden said Monday that gas rebate cards are one action his administration is considering to alleviate the pain of seemingly ever-rising gas prices in the U.S. Biden, speaking to reporters Monday on the beach near his Delaware vacation house, confirmed that he was open to the idea, according to CNN. The 46th president said gas cards are “part of what we’re considering, that’s part of the whole operation.” As of Monday, the national average price of regular gasoline was just shy of $5 per gallon – nearly $2 higher than it was a year ago, according to AAA.
Gas rebate cards are one of several financial salves to help Americans weather spiking fuel costs, but the proposal has run into resistance in the past. When the White House considered rebates two months ago, a House Democratic counsel panned the suggestion, concluding that it might have the unintended effect of driving inflation, as well as being a pricy, poorly-targeted solution.
Senior White House aides also had concerns that the ongoing U.S. microchip shortage could make it hard to produce sufficient rebate cards, and it could be difficult to prevent people from using the money to buy something other than gas, according to The Washington Post.
It’s not yet clear how much money households might receive via the rebate cards, nor who might receive them. Gas rebate cards are just one of several tactics the Biden administration is considering as the White House hopes to turn around foundering poll numbers before fall elections. Along with gas rebate cards, another proposal that has made national headlines for weeks is a holiday on the federal gasoline tax, possibly saving U.S. consumers as much as 18.4 cents a gallon. Biden confirmed Monday that he is considering the tax holiday, and hopes to have a decision “based on the data” by the end of the week.
The Penn Wharton Budget Model released estimates Wednesday showing that consumers saved at the pump because of gas tax holidays in Connecticut, Georgia and Maryland. The majority of the savings went to consumers, instead of service stations and others in the energy sector. In an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed an openness to a federal gas tax holiday to give motorists some relief. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in her own Sunday interview told CNN’s “State of the Union” cautioned that “part of the challenge with the gas tax, of course, is that it funds the roads.”
Oil refiners say their ability to produce additional gas and diesel fuel is limited, meaning that prices could remain high unless demand starts to wane. The American Petroleum Institute and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers sent a joint letter to Biden on Wednesday that said refineries are operating near their maximum capacity already and nearly half of the capacity taken off line was due to the facilities converting to renewable fuel production. “Today’s situation did not materialize overnight and will not be quickly solved,” the letter said. “To protect and foster U.S. energy security and refining capacity, we urge to you to take steps to encourage more domestic energy production,” including new infrastructure and reducing regulatory burdens.
The U.S. is not alone when it comes to eye-popping receipts at the gas pump – several European and Asian countries, where taxes and subsidies may be higher than in the US, have substantially higher gas prices. According to the website globalpetrolprices.com, the most expensive place to fill up one’s tank is Hong Kong, where the average gallon on June 13 was $11.35. Rounding out the top five are Norway ($10.22), Denmark ($10.04), Finland ($10.01) and Iceland ($9.84).
