by Damon Boughamer
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 24 May 2007) - If you let someone hunt on your land in Pennsylvania, without charging a fee, the law limits your liability in cases of on-property injury.
But what if a bullet fired from your land strikes someone on nearby property?
The state legislature is trying to clarify the answer to that question.
A stray bullet fired from a Lehigh County orchard by a hunter travelled half a mile before accidentally hitting a woman sitting in a car on someone else's property.
Last year, a court found the orchard owner partially liable for damages.
A bill approved unanimously by the state House would make it clear that the landowner will not be faulted in these rare cases.
Mark O'Neill with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau says it's "something that probably was not considered back in 1965 when they considered the ability to give farmers and other landowners liability protection if someone was on their land and an accident occurred or damages occurred."
The legislation sponsored by Allegheny County Democrat Harry Readshaw amends laws originally enacted to shield farmers in 1965.
The bill heads next to the Senate.
POSTED BY PUBRADIONEWS AT 06:30
Friday, 25 May 2007
PennDOT lists deteriorating bridges
by Damon Boughamer
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 24 May 2007) - A website lists some 800 deteriorated Pennsylvania bridges.
The list can be found at RideOnPA.org, which is a site the Rendell administration is using to make the point that the commonwealth's roads and bridges need more help than current funding can
provide.
Some of these bridges are closed. Others are still safe but are now posted with weight limits.
PennDOT spokesman Steve Chizmar says this information was available from the agency before -- "but it was really - it was kind of convoluted. There was more information out there than what was really necessary. So what this really is is an attempt to put all the information in one place where viewers can go take a look at this and go take a look at the critical challenges facing transportation in Pennsylvania."
Governor Rendell is considering privatizing the Turnpike to close what he says is a $900 million annual shortfall in funding for roads and bridges.
A consulting firm recently told the administration leasing the toll road could generate enough revenue to meet needs for both road repairs and mass transit - but many legislators are skeptical about the plan.
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 24 May 2007) - A website lists some 800 deteriorated Pennsylvania bridges.
The list can be found at RideOnPA.org, which is a site the Rendell administration is using to make the point that the commonwealth's roads and bridges need more help than current funding can
provide.
Some of these bridges are closed. Others are still safe but are now posted with weight limits.
PennDOT spokesman Steve Chizmar says this information was available from the agency before -- "but it was really - it was kind of convoluted. There was more information out there than what was really necessary. So what this really is is an attempt to put all the information in one place where viewers can go take a look at this and go take a look at the critical challenges facing transportation in Pennsylvania."
Governor Rendell is considering privatizing the Turnpike to close what he says is a $900 million annual shortfall in funding for roads and bridges.
A consulting firm recently told the administration leasing the toll road could generate enough revenue to meet needs for both road repairs and mass transit - but many legislators are skeptical about the plan.
Chambers push for business-friendly PA budget
by Damon Boughamer
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 25 May 2007) - As state budget negotiations pause briefly for the holiday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's chambers of commerce are pushing for
business-friendly approaches.
Chamber leaders gathered at the Capitol to lobby against much of Governor Rendell's proposed budget.
They said they have a different philosophy when it comes to how the state should be spending money.
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry vice president Gene Barr said people will be poorly served and negatively affected by higher taxes or fees.
"Letting the free-market system work makes the most sense for Pennsylvania - trusting on the resources and ingenuity of its citizens and letting its citizens make the best decisions about themselves and their families will be the engine that drives Pennsylvania forward. And
state chambers and local chambers are a critical piece of that economic engine driving forward," Barr said.
House Democrats are pointing out that the spending plan they forwarded to the Senate did not contain the sales tax increase originally suggested by Rendell.
The administration says a revenue surplus means the budget can be balanced without that tax hike.
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 25 May 2007) - As state budget negotiations pause briefly for the holiday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's chambers of commerce are pushing for
business-friendly approaches.
Chamber leaders gathered at the Capitol to lobby against much of Governor Rendell's proposed budget.
They said they have a different philosophy when it comes to how the state should be spending money.
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry vice president Gene Barr said people will be poorly served and negatively affected by higher taxes or fees.
"Letting the free-market system work makes the most sense for Pennsylvania - trusting on the resources and ingenuity of its citizens and letting its citizens make the best decisions about themselves and their families will be the engine that drives Pennsylvania forward. And
state chambers and local chambers are a critical piece of that economic engine driving forward," Barr said.
House Democrats are pointing out that the spending plan they forwarded to the Senate did not contain the sales tax increase originally suggested by Rendell.
The administration says a revenue surplus means the budget can be balanced without that tax hike.
Thursday, 24 May 2007
Pennsylvanians embrace electronic tax filing
by Damon Boughamer
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 23 May 2007) - More Pennsylvanians than ever filed tax returns electronically this year.
Electronic filing methods include internet and telephone.
Revenue department spokeswoman Stephanie Weyant says more than 2.9 million people - about half of all individual taxpayers - filed electronically this year.
She says the figure reflects the continuation of a trend.
"Pennsylvania has offered electronic filing since 1997. And each and every year, we've seen a dramatic increase in the number of people who are choosing to file their income taxes electronically. Just from last year to this year, we saw a 7 percent increase in the number of people who filed electronically," Weyant says.
Payments and refunds are also being processed electronically more often.
More than half a million taxpayers received refunds through direct deposit.
Nearly a quarter million paid their taxes through automated checking withdrawal or with a credit card.
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 23 May 2007) - More Pennsylvanians than ever filed tax returns electronically this year.
Electronic filing methods include internet and telephone.
Revenue department spokeswoman Stephanie Weyant says more than 2.9 million people - about half of all individual taxpayers - filed electronically this year.
She says the figure reflects the continuation of a trend.
"Pennsylvania has offered electronic filing since 1997. And each and every year, we've seen a dramatic increase in the number of people who are choosing to file their income taxes electronically. Just from last year to this year, we saw a 7 percent increase in the number of people who filed electronically," Weyant says.
Payments and refunds are also being processed electronically more often.
More than half a million taxpayers received refunds through direct deposit.
Nearly a quarter million paid their taxes through automated checking withdrawal or with a credit card.
PA House skips 'fake budget' this year
by Damon Boughamer
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 23 May 2007) - This year's state budget process won't include the assembly of a document commonly known at the Capitol as the "fake budget."
Usually, time is reserved for amending the budget bill in the House - giving lawmakers a chance to add pet projects to the plan so they could say they voted for them. Few of these items make the final blueprint.
But Democrats, who control the House for the first time in a decade, announced they would skip the process.
On the floor, Appropriations chair Dwight Evans assured the rank and file that their voices would be heard.
"I will not, from my particular position as chairman of this committee, ignore any thoughts and ideas that you have. We'll have full discussion. But we need to move this process along," Evans said.
The chamber debated only one amendment - a catch-all Republican revision that would have curtailed spending in several areas. It was defeated.
The budget deadline is June 30 but has been missed every year under Governor Rendell.
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 23 May 2007) - This year's state budget process won't include the assembly of a document commonly known at the Capitol as the "fake budget."
Usually, time is reserved for amending the budget bill in the House - giving lawmakers a chance to add pet projects to the plan so they could say they voted for them. Few of these items make the final blueprint.
But Democrats, who control the House for the first time in a decade, announced they would skip the process.
On the floor, Appropriations chair Dwight Evans assured the rank and file that their voices would be heard.
"I will not, from my particular position as chairman of this committee, ignore any thoughts and ideas that you have. We'll have full discussion. But we need to move this process along," Evans said.
The chamber debated only one amendment - a catch-all Republican revision that would have curtailed spending in several areas. It was defeated.
The budget deadline is June 30 but has been missed every year under Governor Rendell.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Nursing home advocates rally for PA funding
by Damon Boughamer
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 22 May 2007) - Advocates for long-termcare environments, including nursing homes, rallied at the state Capitol Tuesday.
Supporters are hoping for an increase for nursing homes in the state budget of about $75 million or 4 percent.
Pennsylvania Health Care Association vice chair Ray Calhoun called upon hundreds of professionals gathered outside the Capitol's East Wing to find their representatives and senators inside and make the case for long-term care.
"They simply don't understand because we haven't done a particularly good job of showing them what it is that we do that provides a high-value load to society with respect to caring for our elderly, who are in our care and are our charged responsibility," Calhoun said.
The last several years have seen additional state resources aimed at home care.
Advocates for each type of long-term care are worried that the total investment will not grow and instead will simply be divided differently.
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 22 May 2007) - Advocates for long-termcare environments, including nursing homes, rallied at the state Capitol Tuesday.
Supporters are hoping for an increase for nursing homes in the state budget of about $75 million or 4 percent.
Pennsylvania Health Care Association vice chair Ray Calhoun called upon hundreds of professionals gathered outside the Capitol's East Wing to find their representatives and senators inside and make the case for long-term care.
"They simply don't understand because we haven't done a particularly good job of showing them what it is that we do that provides a high-value load to society with respect to caring for our elderly, who are in our care and are our charged responsibility," Calhoun said.
The last several years have seen additional state resources aimed at home care.
Advocates for each type of long-term care are worried that the total investment will not grow and instead will simply be divided differently.
Rendell promises to keep up gun control fight
by Damon Boughamer
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 22 May 2007) - Mayors from all corners of the state joined Governor Rendell at the Capitol Tuesday to push for greater flexibility in gun control.
They want local control over gun laws and "one-handgun-a-month" purchasing restrictions.
Governor Rendell said these are sensible and reasonable proposals but noted they have been blocked repeatedly.
"You know, there's no secret that gun legislation is an uphill fight in Pennsylvania. It's an uphill fight because this legislature, for toolong, has been in control of the NRA," Rendell said.
Philadelphia Mayor John Street said gun crimes are costing lives - and they're also costing dollars his city doesn't have.
"In the 21st century, as we compete in the global economy, we don't have the resources to just keep investing in the problems of crime and violence," Street said.
But Rendell said it's not just a Philadelphia and Pittsburgh problem.
He predicted that rising gun violence in cities across the state will result, eventually, in a "tidal wave" of support for gun control legislation.
Public Radio Capitol News, serving Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Penna. (PRCN, 22 May 2007) - Mayors from all corners of the state joined Governor Rendell at the Capitol Tuesday to push for greater flexibility in gun control.
They want local control over gun laws and "one-handgun-a-month" purchasing restrictions.
Governor Rendell said these are sensible and reasonable proposals but noted they have been blocked repeatedly.
"You know, there's no secret that gun legislation is an uphill fight in Pennsylvania. It's an uphill fight because this legislature, for toolong, has been in control of the NRA," Rendell said.
Philadelphia Mayor John Street said gun crimes are costing lives - and they're also costing dollars his city doesn't have.
"In the 21st century, as we compete in the global economy, we don't have the resources to just keep investing in the problems of crime and violence," Street said.
But Rendell said it's not just a Philadelphia and Pittsburgh problem.
He predicted that rising gun violence in cities across the state will result, eventually, in a "tidal wave" of support for gun control legislation.
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