Superior court Judge on PCN

from the inbox:

In an historic first, Superior Court President Judge Correale Stevens spends an hour with the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) on Thursday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m. talking about Pennsylvania’s legal and judicial systems. 

In a series called “Courts 101 with Judge Correale Stevens,” the head of Pennsylvania’s second highest appellate court will appear on PCN for four episodes.  During the hour-long programs, Judge Stevens will talk about judicial temperament, what makes a good lawyer, and more about the court process.Viewers can check pcntv.com for airtimes. 

"Many Pennsylvanians have questions about our judicial system, and PCN has given us a great opportunity to talk directly to citizens about how courts work, to de-mystify what might seem like a confusing and intimidating process,” said Judge Stevens, who is serving his second 10-year term as a Superior Court judge and his first as that court’s president judge. 

PCN’s president, Brian Lockman, called “Court 101 with Judge Stevens” an important milestone for Pennsylvania.  “The Superior Court was the first of the appellate courts to open up some of its proceedings to the public through PCN’s cameras.  Now, Judge Stevens is making time to explain what citizens are seeing on PCN and for that, we are grateful.”

SEPTA's Safety Awareness Day

from the inbox:

To remind the public of the dangers of walking along, playing by or cutting across train and trolley tracks, rail yards and depots, SEPTA will hold our first-ever “Make the Safe Choice” Safety Awareness Day on Wednesday, May 1. During the morning rush 500 Authority employees, City Year corps members and other transit partners will distribute educational materials and answer safety questions at more than 160 SEPTA rail, trolley and bus stations, loops and transportation centers throughout the Authority’s five-county service area. Safety messages will also be displayed on the Authority's vehicles and in our stations.

Kathleen McGinty Campaign Site Up

Kathleen McGinty's campaign website is now up and running.  It has the basics, bio, vision statement, and and ability to make donations.  McGinty is one of the Democratic candidates for governor.

Check it out:  http://katiemcginty.com/index.php

Breast Cancer Presentation in Lafayette Hill

Dr. Marisa Weiss, found and president of Breastcancer.org gave a presentation at Congregation Or Ami in Lafayette Hill on Sunday morning (4/28).  Her topic was the high incidence of breast cancer and new research on prevention.  Dr. Weiss has written several books on the subject and is a practicing breast oncologist in Philadelphia.

I wasn't there but am told that Montgomery County Commissioner Leslie Richardson was in attendance and possibly made a few remarks herself.

On a personal note I recently had my regular mammogram done and received the results (benign / normal) on Saturday.  Ladies, get those tests done!

Rob McCord Now on Twitter

State Treasurer (and likely gubernatorial candidate) Rob McCord is now on twitter.  Follow along at:
https://twitter.com/@RobMcCordPA

Customized SETPA Tweets

Attention fellow SEPTA riders!

You can know follow customized SETPA twitter feeds to see current information on your specific trains, trolleys, and buses.

Check it out:  http://septa.org/alert/twitter

A Brief Look at State Rep. Greg Vitali's Writings

I've long been a fan of State Rep. Greg Vitali.  Among his many accomplishments is a steady record of op-eds and letters to the editor.  These works have been published in papers across the Commonwealth.  I did a search of Pennsylvania newspapers (author:  Greg Vitali or Gregory Vitali or Gregory S. Vitali), sorted through, trying to delete duplicate publications by noting similar titles within a few days of each other, and then reviewing the results.  That left 61 items, though in the course of skimming through them there were four duplicates that had escaped my earlier culling.  I am by no means suggesting this is an exhaustive list; it is very possible that I missed some or that some were published in papers that I don't have online access to.

While his op-eds and letters were published in a variety of papers, when more than one version was available I took the longest, which was most often from either the Philadelphia Inquirer or Delaware County publications like the Daily Times.

There are certainly themes to his writing but there are enough of them that a synopsis of them is a bit much for a single blog post.  Rep. Vitali has 19 guest columns on his legislative website (http://www.pahouse.com/vitali/all.asp?med=COL) that you can browse to get a sense of his writing style.

However, I can provide a breakdown by year, which indicates a steady output, and by overall subject, though the categories are somewhat elastic.

Chronological breakdown:

1995 - 3
1996 - 3
1997 - 2
1998 - 1
1999 - 1
2000 - 1
2001- 4
2002 - 1
2003 - 5
2004 - 3
2005 - 5
2006 - 7
2007 - 5
2008 - 5
2009 - 5
2010 - 2
2011 - 5
2012 - 2
2013 - 1

General subject breakdown:

campaign finance reform:  5
government reform (including pay raise) 8
tort reform 1
lobbying reform 2
open records 1
education / property tax 2
mandatory minimum sentencing 2
gay marriage 2

fracking 5
global warming 13
recycling 1
environmental protection 7
energy policy / strategy 7

Haverford State Hospital 5
campaign related 1

As you can see he writes a lot on reform measure and environmental matters.  These are two general themes I have noticed in his legislative and advocacy efforts.  The Haverford State Hospital is an important issue in his district.

Find Katie McGinty in the May PhillyMag

Like Waldo, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kathleen "Katie" McGinty is lurking in the background of the May issue of Philadelphia Magazine.

"Will there be a resurrection?" by Michael Callahan is on Philadelphia's parochial schools.  In the 5th from the last paragraph, when Callahan is recounting the success of some of his classmates, he writes: "How much of a loser do I feel like, knowing that Katie McGinty worked in the Clinton White House and is now running for governor?"

The article isn't currently on the magazine's website so you might have to borrow a friend's print copy (I subscribe).  The McGinty note is on page 182.  You can read the whole thing to learn a little more about her classmates.

PA Senate Bill: Being Gay NOT A Disorder or a Disease

Today's legislative infobit is on a PA State Senate bill that was introduced today and referred to the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure committee.

SB 872 is a remarkable bill and instead of trying to adequately interpret it, I'm just pasting the first part of it:

AN ACT
Prohibiting mental health professionals from engaging in sexual
orientation change efforts with an individual under 18 years
of age.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Short title.

The act shall be known and may be cited as the Protection of
Minors from Sexual Orientation Change Counseling Act.

Section 2. Legislative findings.

The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) Being lesbian, gay or bisexual is not a disease,
disorder, illness, deficiency or shortcoming. The major
professional associations of mental health practitioners and
researchers in the United States have recognized this fact
for nearly 40 years.

If this bill is what it appears to be I sincerely hope it passes quickly and by a significant majority.  The bill was introduced by:  WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON, SCHWANK, FERLO AND LEACH

Today's Legislation Infobits

Why so many posts on legislation lately?  Mostly because I've actually had to time to scan the emails that come through every day the legislature is in session listing what bills were introduced and acted upon.  (You, too, can receive these fascinating missives.)  For most of the year I've just filed them for review later, and then never looked at them again.  But now I actually skim them and take a look at anything that catches my eye.

These are just two of the many pieces of legislation that were noted in today's email.

HB 891 amends the state's game law to allow "The checking of traps remotely by electronic means
by a properly permitted nuisance wildlife control operator."

HB 1243 creates a process (or amends an existing process, it's hard to tell) for people who have been in mental hospitals or legally declared mentally incompetent to appeal to the court of common pleas for the ability to legally own firearms.  State Rep Todd Stephens appears to be the primary sponsor on that one.

PA Economy League Supports Medicaid Expansion

The Pennsylvania Economy League, Inc. (PEL) and the PA Health Funders Collaborative (PHFC) have  released a new report that shows that expanding Medicaid to low-income Pennsylvanians as part of the Affordable Care Act would increase economic activity in the state and result in fiscal savings, despite state cost increases over time.

The full report (and an executive summary) are available at:  http://economyleague.org/node/1702

Brian Buhman Honored at White House

from the inbox:

TODAY, Wednesday, April 24th, the White House honors Brian Buhman as one of seventeen people who are Hurricane Sandy “Champions of Change.” This Champions event highlights people and organizations directly involved in response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy.  These hidden heroes implemented innovative, collaborative solutions to meet the unique needs of communities and neighborhoods as they worked to rebuild after the devastating effects of this disaster. 

“As soon as a disaster hits, we see citizens come together to help those in need. Time and again, we have seen the courage and heroism of first responders, organizations, and ordinary people in providing relief, recovery, and care, and these Hurricane Sandy champions of change are no exception. From providing up-to-the-minute news, to assisting with long-term recovery to showing compassion to neighbors to donating vital supplies, these ordinary heroes are an inspiration to us all,” said Paulette Aniskoff, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement.  

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White house to feature groups of Americans – individuals, businesses and organizations – who are doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. 

Brian Buhman, Team Rubicon: Disaster Response Veterans Service OrganizationEast Greenville, PA
Brian Buhman is a Marine Corps veteran who served two tours of duty in Iraq. His desire to continue his service by helping his community and other veterans led him to join Team Rubicon, a disaster response veterans service organization in 2011. Since March 2012, he has been a State Coordinator for Pennsylvania. During Hurricane Sandy, Brian stayed in Pennsylvania to help the residents in his community affected by the storm. Through his partnership with Volunteers Active in Disasters (VOAD), Brian started tree clean-up operations before the storm had ended and continued leading teams for the next three weeks. Since then, he has helped organize two clean-up weekends with the help of his VOAD partners. While working a full-time job, Brian volunteered over 150 hours for clean-up, assessments, and planning.

Trivedi Joins PAC

Dr. Manan Trivedi, two time candidate for Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district, has joined the board of a new political action committee, Americans for the Protection of Children.  He sent out the following email last week (fundraising links removed):

Yesterday Congress failed our children. The Senate had the opportunity to pass simple legislation to stop gun violence -- background checks -- and they could not muster the political courage to act. Why? When 90% of Americans support background checks, why would Congress fail to act?

The answer is simple: fear of the NRA and their Washington lobbyists.

That is why my friends and I, many of whom are parents of young children, are launching a new organization to fight back.

Because the only way we will ever get common sense gun safety laws is when we beat the politicians that do the NRA's bidding.
After the election in November I took a step back from politics. I was so thankful for your support in the campaign and proud of what we did together, but I needed some time to focus on my family and work as a physician. I can't sit quietly any longer.

Recently I discovered that, as a doctor, I am on the NRA's "enemies list." That's right. The NRA keeps a list of enemies that includes pediatricians, trauma surgeons, nurses, and the American Medical Association. It's actually a group of people I am proud to be associated with.

And united we can have a major impact.

As a battalion surgeon, I have seen firsthand what military weapons do to the human body.As a parent, I want to make sure that weapons that belong on the battlefield are kept out of our schools, our malls, our movie theaters, our places of worship, and off our streets.

We need to stop them and we need to start today.

Manan Trivedi

Equality Forum Events at the Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center and Equality Forum are hosting two panel discussions on current challenges facing the LGBT community.  Both will be on the evening of Friday, May 3rd, at the Constitution Center.  Admission is free but advance registration is recommended.  Panelists include elected LGBT officials, activists, and litigators.  Pennsylvania State Reps. Brian Sims and Mike Fleck will be part of the panel.  This event is part of Equality Forum's 21st annual four-day LGBT summit in Philadelphia on May 2-5.

PA ACLU on HB 818

from the inbox:

 In the latest in a series of troubling votes on women’s healthcare, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation today to block insurance coverage of abortion care in the insurance exchange created by the federal healthcare reform law. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania was among the opponents of the bill, stating that it is a “radical expansion of government interference” in the private market.

“By banning insurance coverage of abortion care, the House has wandered into new territory,” said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. “This is an extreme rollback of current state law, which is silent on the issue of private insurance coverage of abortion.

“The House simply cannot keep its hands off of women’s healthcare.”

The passage of House Bill 818 comes on the heels of multiple votes in the 2011-12 session to restrict women’s access to reproductive healthcare. In that session, the House passed legislation to implement new, unnecessary regulations on women’s health clinics, passed a previous version of the insurance exchange ban, and held a committee vote on forced ultrasounds for women seeking abortions.

The clinic regulations bill was also passed by the Senate and signed by Governor Corbett.
The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act addressed the issue of insurance coverage of abortion, under an amendment offered by conservative Democratic Senator Ben Nelson. The Nelson amendment requires that a customer who participates in the insurance exchange would submit a separate payment to cover the abortion provision of the policy, ensuring that public funds are not used for covering abortion care.

HB 818 goes much further by prohibiting insurance coverage of abortion in policies sold within the exchange altogether, with only very narrow exceptions for rape, incest, and imminent death of the woman.

“This bill even prohibits insurance coverage of abortion when the woman’s health is at risk, such as with complications from cancer or diabetes,” said Andy Hoover, legislative director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. “The House members who supported this bill are either hopelessly naïve about the realities of women’s health or exceptionally cruel. Either way, they have no business micromanaging women’s healthcare from Harrisburg.”

HB 818 now heads to the state Senate for its consideration. Earlier this month, a Senate committee passed an identical bill, Senate Bill 3, which is currently on the Senate 

Planned Parenthood on HB 818 and SB 3

from the inbox:

In a perfect example of a solution in search of a problem, the most recent Pennsylvania abortion restriction bill - House Bill 818 - continued on its path through the Pennsylvania legislature on Tuesday, passing out of the House of Representatives.

Sari Stevens, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates commented on today’s vote, “Proponents of this bill continue to mislead the legislature and the public, characterizing the debate as centered on taxpayer funding of abortion. Nothing could be farther from the truth. House Bill 818 bans the purchase of insurance coverage of abortion with private dollars, end of story. The disingenuous and purposeful misinformation that has been circulated about House Bill 818 and Senate Bill 3 is truly shameful. ”

“If the advocates and elected officials pushing these bills would be forthcoming with their ultimate goal - to eliminate safe access to abortion services at any turn and any cost, we could at least have an honest debate. Instead, the effort to pass this bill after five full years has been consistently cloaked in mistruths so as to confuse the legislature into submission.”

In a dramatic change in the status quo and intrusion into the free market, House Bill 818 would ban insurance companies from offering policies through the Pennsylvania exchange that cover abortion services outside of the narrow instances of rape and incest that have been personally reported to law enforcement, or to avert the death of the woman. Existing federal law already requires individuals to provide an entirely separate payment for insurance coverage of abortion if they access coverage through a healthcare exchange.  Senate Bill 3 passed out of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee with identical language in recent weeks and is also poised for a full floor vote in the Senate.

“Even more shocking is that this bill is so ideological and blind-sighted as to refuse to give women with serious health problems like cancer any consideration,” Stevens continued. Thus, if the bill becomes law, even in tragic cases where the woman’s health is in serious jeopardy, the cost of the abortion procedure – which often takes place in a hospital – would be paid for entirely by the family. An overwhelming 79% of Pennsylvania voters support insurance coverage of abortion to protect a woman’s health. “Failing to provide for this exception is not only bad policy, it’s in stark contrast to public opinion,” said Stevens.

Stevens continued, “Imagine a woman who owns her own business, who chooses to buy her insurance on the Exchange, who pays her premiums every month and during a much anticipated and desired pregnancy develops cancer. The Pennsylvania legislature has decided to tell her that she’s out of luck and has to foot the bill herself. That is beyond cruel. The voters are fed up with the divisive social agenda of this legislature and with elections around the corner again, it’s a surprisingly risky and heartless move.”

Assorted New State Legislation

A few interesting items from yesterday's legislative email:

A new bill spelling out definitions of internet predators and setting up a structure for the state police to keep a registry of their online accounts.  Social networking sites (defined in such a way that might exclude business networking sites, though not being a lawyer I could be wrong on this) can check that registry.  See HB 1233.  From solely a layman's reading this sounds good to me.

The Local Government Committee was busy yesterday.  Several bills, HB 1224 - HB 1231 were introduced.  Several of these concerned how vacancies for township and county elected offices were to be filled, and more importantly, for what reasons people could be removed from office.  Mary Jo Daley sponsored many of these so I'm assuming they are good.  One concern, especially in HB 1227, is that is calls for an appointed replacement county commissioner to serve out the remainder of the term -- no mention of a special election.  But again, I'm not a lawyer so it may be in there and I just don't grasp it.

Those interested in public transit's use of natural gas powered buses should review HB 304.

You can review legislation by typing in bill numbers or keywords at:  http://www.legis.state.pa.us/index.cfm

Bill to Require Training Before Permit to Carry

A new bill in the PA Senate, SB 664, would amend the legislation on permits to carry firearms.  The new wording requires the applicant to have taken a firearms training course.  There are several training options listed, with alternatives included.

Makes sense to me.

The sponsors are:  HUGHES, FARNESE, SCHWANK, TARTAGLIONE, WASHINGTON
AND WILLIAMS

Boy Scout Update (Brendan Boyle Edition)

According to today's Inquirer ("Phila. Boy Scouts wants gay policy left to local units," by Melissa Dribben), the local Boy Scout council is suggesting that the national organization allow local troops decide whether or not to allow gay scout leaders.

Boy Scouts of America is rumored to offer a proposal allowing gay scouts but not gay leaders ("Boy Scouts proposing to lift gay ban for scout," by David Cracy, AP, 4/19)

in related news, this showed up in the inbox:

 The Philadelphia chapter of Boy Scouts of America have proposed changing the organization's national policy to give local units autonomy in deciding whether to allow gay members. In response, Representative Brendan F. Boyle (Philadelphia/Montgomery Co) releases the following statement: 

“I am very glad that the Philadelphia Boy Scouts of America have decided to press for an end to discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation. This is an important step forward in the fight for full equality for all Americans. As a founding member of the PA House LGBT Equality Caucus, I support this decision for furthering the expansion of rights once denied to our fellow Americans just for being gay. 

I praise the efforts of the Philadelphia Boy Scouts of America in working to better both our youth and our communities – and now for setting a positive example of tolerance and acceptance for Philadelphia’s youngest citizens. With that said, allowing individual Boy Scout chapters to choose their policy on gay membership is only one step in the right direction toward a future of openness and tolerance. I call on the leaders of the Boy Scouts’ national chapters to support the Philadelphia chapter’s proposal and seize this opportunity to put an end, once and for all, to any question concerning the character and reputation of the Boy Scouts of America.

 The Boy Scouts of America are an outstanding organization that instills many positive values in its members. There is no place for discrimination or bigotry in the Boy Scouts.”

Steven Tolliver, Sr. for Judge

Steven Tolliver, Sr., is a candidate for the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.  He has a campaign website, www.tolliverforjudge.com.  The site has a lengthy biography, a spot for campaign news, facebook feed, volunteer sign up form, and assorted other standard goodies.

Tolliver's biography is impressive.