Unhappy with House Bill 1467? Here's how to tell Gov. Rendell – it's all up to him now

Readers have been asking how to contact Gov. Rendell about House Bill 1467, the "Residential Construction Dispute Resolution Act," which has been passed by the Pennsylvania legislature and made its way to the governor's desk – for signature or veto – with virtually no news coverage.

Here's how:

* Call Rendell's office at 717-787-2500.

* Send an e-mail via a Web-based form.

* Send a letter to:

Governor Edward G. Rendell's Office
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

If nothing else, HB 1467 deserves much more scrutiny – and opportunity for the public to comment – than it has gotten. (Click here to read my column urging Rendell to veto the bill.)

Passed without any real public hearings, this stealth legislation could affect any consumer in the state. HB 1467 would apply to new homes and condos, but it also would apply to many much smaller jobs – even a new porch or deck that costs $2,000 or more (To read the bill itself, click here.)

The bill would mandate a step-by-step procedure for dispute resolution, and would meanwhile bar any lawsuit for at least 75 days. It's part of a national push by homebuilders to address a purported problem – too many lawsuits, and high liability-insurance prices as a result – that Pennsylvania builders don't even seem to have.

The legislature got nailed last year for its stealthy pay-raise legislation, but this time it's doing more than lining its own members' pockets. If an entire new procedure is going to apply to Pennsylvania consumers in disputes with contractors, shouldn't we have at least been in the loop?