Thursday, January 3, 2013
PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center is hosting the event for Pittsburgh-area constituents.
Upper St. Clair residents can meet their new state senator from 5:30 to 7:30 Thursday night at Il Pizziola in Mt. Lebanon. Sen. Matt Smith (D-Mt. Lebanon) was sworn in on New Year's Day following the retirement of John Pippy. PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center is hosting the event "to allow Pittsburgh-area constituents to meet and chat with their newly-elected state senator, and socialize with neighbors and others who are concerned about protecting our environment." State Rep. Bob Matzie (D-Ambridge) and state Rep. Erin Molchany (D-Mt. Washington) are also scheduled to be at the event. Will you attend the meet and greet? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments. Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Matt Smith was at the state Capitol in Harrisburg for an unusual New Year’s Day swearing-in ceremony.
Matt Smith’s New Year's Day celebration got off to a good start Tuesday afternoon when he was sworn in as the area’s new state senator. Smith, who previously was a three-term state representative for most of the South Hills, was at the state Capitol in Harrisburg with friends and family for the unusual New Year’s Day swearing-in ceremony. The Mt. Lebanon Democrat takes over the 37th state Senate seat vacated by the retirement of John Pippy, a Republican from Moon Township. Smith defeated D. Raja, a Republican from Mt. Lebanon, in the November election to win the senate seat. “It has been an amazing and humbling journey to arrive at this moment,” Smith said in a statement. “I am thankful to reach this milestone and look forward to returning…
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The budget was enacted with just minutes to spare from the Saturday midnight deadline.
For the second year in a row, Gov. Tom Corbett beat a midnight deadline and signed a state budget that includes no new taxes. "Hopefully we're developing a habit, and I think the Pennsylvania citizens will appreciate that habit of on time," Corbett said after the signing ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. The final $27.66 billion budget package includes several significant victories for the Corbett administration, including a tax incentive aimed at luring a Shell Oil Co. plant to Beaver County, a measure to alter how teachers are evaluated, and a proposal to tame rising prison costs through targeted sentencing, the Post-Gazette reported. The spending plan, approved by the House on Thursday and the Senate late Friday, maintains funding at …
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The final version was $500 million higher than Gov. Corbett's proposed budget.
The Pennsylvania Senate passed a nearly $27.66 billion state spending plan by a 32-17 vote late Friday, the Harrisburg Patriot-News is reporting. The budget is $500 million higher than Gov. Tom Corbett's initial proposal, according to the Post-Gazette. Other parts of budget package will still need to be acted on by the state House and Senate. The state House approved the budget on Thursday. The budget still requires action by Gov. Tom Corbett for final approval. The plan requires no increase in taxes or new taxes. It maintains funding at current year levels for public universities and most school districts, but some fiscally struggling districts received a little extra money, the Patriot-News reported. It cuts funding for human services by…
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Read our complete list of primary election candidates who filed to run in the April 24 primary.
Candidates have filed their election petitions for the upcoming primary, and several local candidates will face challenges. Unless a challenge by Republican state lawmakers to push the election back is upheld or the districts are properly formatted, the primary is scheduled for April 24. Below are the races that residents in Peters Township will want to keep an eye on during the primary and the November general election. To view the entire candidate roster, see the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website. Pennsylvania U.S. Senator U.S. Senator Bob Casey will face one challenger, Joe Vodvarka of Findlay Township, who was booted from the Democratic Senate primary two years ago for not having enough signatures on his petition. Five …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The measure now heads to the House for consideration.
The state Senate has approved a Marcellus Shale bill by a vote of 31-19. The Post-Gazette reports that it includes a levy on shale. “The Republican-negotiated measure melds the fee amounts in previous bill(s) into a tiered system pegged against the price of natural gas, which would raise between $190,000 and $355,000 per well over 15 years. That fee is projected to raise more than $190 million retroactively for 2011, rising to $333 million by 2015,” the newspaper reported. State Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, voted yes—as he said all his southwestern Pennsylvania colleagues did. The measure now heads to the House for consideration. Check back with Peters Patch for updates.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The bill would impose a tax of 3 percent on gas production.
The state Senate on Tuesday night approved legislation that "would establish reasonable fees on gas drillers, establish strong environmental safeguards, and strengthen oversight of the Marcellus Shale drilling industry," according to Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, who sponsored the measure. Passage of Senate Bill 1100 comes after months of negotiation. "This legislation will help communities impacted by drilling, provide for reasonable local zoning parameters and implement strong environmental protections," Scarnati said. "Through a reasonable and well-thought-out impact fee on shale companies, we can manage this tremendous resource in a way that improves our economy, creates new jobs and opportunities for our residents and protects our …
Thursday, June 30, 2011
State Reps. Jesse White and Brandon Neuman said the bill, which was passed by the Senate Thursday afternoon, is imperative.
Local lawmakers lauded legislation approved by the House Thursday that would impose a temporary moratorium on countywide property tax reassessments in Washington County. The Senate passed the bill earlier Thursday, which means it is headed to the governor's desk. House Bill 1696—which is identical to a proposal offered by state Rep. Jesse White earlier this year—is part of a three-bill package spearheaded by White, D-Cecil; and state Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane. The representatives said the intent is to reform the state's “flawed” method of reassessing property values to protect homeowners from dramatic increases in property taxes. "The moratorium bill is an extremely important milestone on the way toward accomplishing …
Bernard Bender
6:51 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
Welcome the Barack Obama of the South Hills! Raising taxes to pay for union pensions and benefits! yay! more ›