Mustio: House Approves Game and Fisheries Merger Study

Also, information on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Fish-for-Free Day on Memorial Day.

The House voted unanimously this week in support of a measure to launch a detailed study of the potential impacts of merging the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.    House Resolution 129 calls on the non-partisan Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) to study the financial feasibility, impact, costs and savings that may be realized by combining the agencies. It also calls on the LBFC to explore a range of options with regard to how to structure the state’s wildlife agency to best manage the wildlife and aquatic resources of the Commonwealth. A similar study was conducted 10 years ago, and it showed a merger was feasible and would save money. No legislative action resulted from that study’…

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Patch Poll: Should Colleges and Universities Allow Students to Carry Guns on Campus?

Some Pennsylvania college campuses—including Slippery Rock in Butler County—are allowing students to carry more than just their books.

At least five Pennsylvania state-owned universities are now allowing guns on campus after the state’s lawyers concluded that an outright ban on weapons was probably unconstitutional, according to KDKA-TV. Weapons at five universities—Kutztown, Shippensburg, Edinboro, Slippery Rock and Millersville—are now allowed on campus, though they are still generally banned from school buildings and athletic events, KDKA reported. Students with concealed-carry permits had questioned the constitutionality of blanket weapons bans at state-owned universities, prompting a legal review that found such bans were vulnerable to court challenge. About a year ago, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education provided a model weapons policy for …

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Rep. Mustio: PA House Passes Bill to Close the Delaware Loophole

Bill to create level playing field for job creation heads to the state Senate.

The House passed legislation this week to close the Delaware Loophole and implement comprehensive business tax reforms for Pennsylvania job creators.   House Bill 440 would close the loophole by targeting specific transactions that some businesses use for the sole purpose of avoiding taxation in the Commonwealth.   The bill also includes several additional tax reforms, including reducing the Corporate Net Income (CNI) Tax rate to 6.99 percent and uncapping the Net Operating Loss (NOL) deductions businesses may take. In addition, the bill would support Pennsylvania’s small businesses, encourage new investments in existing businesses and promote the development of new start-up companies. All of these reforms seek to make Pennsylvania a more …

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Letter to the Editor: Resident Takes Board of Supervisors to Task for '1990s Vision'

Writer urges Moon board to be proactive with Wal-Mart property.

To All The Moon Township Board Of Supervisors, I am writing to you supervisors because it appears that your vision for Moon Township is still in the 1990s, and not in the 21st century. I have written time and time again trying to move you into pro-active action when it comes to the Wal-Mart property. The property is still tied up with PennDOT. If Wal-Mart is denied an HOP and further permits to build, what will you do? You need to be ready to rezone the property into mixed use, and include it within the Overlay District allowing for a better use of the property. Our comprehensive plan and overlay district concept of creating a "town center" has been a fake and fraud, as well as a joke. There is no such thing, or vision. It exists in name …

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Rep. Mustio: Legislation Introduced to Abolish PA Turnpike Commission

State Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Moon, shares news with his constituents in this week's 'Updates from Harrisburg.'

Following a 44-month grand jury investigation revealing untold millions of public dollars being squandered through “pay-to-play” corruption, political patronage and a lack of competitive bidding, legislation has been introduced in the state House to abolish the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.  House Bill 1197 would transfer all operations, maintenance, construction and other responsibilities for the turnpike to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in an effort to streamline government and enhance efficiency. If enacted, this legislation would require PennDOT to honor any collective bargaining agreement in existence between the Turnpike Commission and any employee organization. The bill also would assign debt of the outstanding …

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Rep. Mustio: Uncorking the Pros of Liquor Privatization

Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Moon, shares news with his constituents in this week's 'Updates from Harrisburg—Part 3: Public Protection … It's In There."

One of the most common myths put forth by liquor privatization opponents is the potential for reduced public safety, increased social problems and elevated crime such as rampant alcoholism, binge drinking, underage drinking, and more alcohol-related deaths and injuries across the board. This week’s Headline Harrisburg report “uncorks” just some of the public protection aspects of liquor privatization that await Pennsylvanians under House Bill 790. Of course, government must concentrate on vigorously regulating the distribution of alcohol and cracking down on those who misuse it, especially minors and those who drink and drive. Contrary to the misinformed prohibitionist opinion, a number of states with completely privatized alcohol sales …

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Patch Poll: Are You For or Against Police DUI Checkpoints or Patrols?

Many people favor efforts by the West Hills DUI Task Force to combat intoxicated drivers, but others worry that it's more a "police state" tactic.

Throughout Pennsylvania—and locally—drinking and driving is one of the top safety issues for police. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Crash Facts and Statistics booklet, there were 11,805 alcohol-related crashes in the state in 2011, down from 12,426 alcohol-related crashes in 2010. Alcohol-related deaths decreased from 459 to 428 in that same period. In 2011, alcohol-related deaths were 33 percent of the total traffic deaths in Pennsylvania, a nearly steady rate over the last several years. Throughout the state, local police widely use sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols to help take intoxicated drivers off the road. The efforts also serve to prevent and deter drinking and driving. In a five-hour period…

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Mustio Votes to Bar Unemployment Benefits for Prison Inmates, Increasing Penalties for Willful Fraud

State Rep. Mark Mustio thanks Bridge Educational Foundation and U.S. Steel for providing scholarships to students in need through state's Educational Improvement Tax Credit.

This week, the PA House took a major step forward to protect Pennsylvania taxpayers by unanimously passing sweeping Unemployment Compensation reform legislation that would increase penalties on individuals who commit willful fraud to obtain unemployment compensation benefits, including cases of fraud perpetuated by incarcerated individuals.   If enacted, House Bill 403 would require the Department of Labor and Industry to cross-check databases to make sure prison inmates are not collecting unemployment compensation. This legislation would also impose an additional 52-week penalty for claimants who illegally apply for benefits while in prison. This penalty would apply to these same individuals in the future should they become eligible and …

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From Sen. Fontana

New Proposal Marks National Library Week

Robinson-area state Sen. Wayne Fontana plans to propose to the Senate that Pennsylvania recognize a specific week in April as National Library Week.

  Next week marks National Library Week throughout the country.  First debuting in 1958, National Library week is sponsored by the American Library Association and observed by libraries nationwide each April. The kickoff will begin on Sunday, April 14, where communities across the United States will recognize of the role of libraries, librarians and library workers and the services and resources libraries and library staff provide to the community. Although all libraries within the Commonwealth have a great importance to the state, the 42nd district is very fortunate to have one of state’s major library systems as a resource, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP).  To celebrate National Library Week, I will present a resolution in the …

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From Rep. Mustio

Mustio: Uncorking the Pros of Liquor Privatization

Weekly updates from Moon-area state Rep. Mark Mustio.

  This week’s Headline Harrisburg report “uncorks” just some of the government-limiting aspects of liquor privatization that await Pennsylvanians under House Bill 790. First of all, our current state-run liquor system was created in 1933 by then-Gov. Gifford Pinchot, who declared that the PA Liquor Control Board’s mission was to make liquor sales “as inconvenient and expensive as possible.” When you consider that now only two states, Pennsylvania and Utah, still maintain complete control over wholesale and retail operations, the LCB’s original mission statement becomes even more antiquated and prohibitionist. Not surprisingly, the public overwhelmingly and consistently agrees. Opinion poll, after opinion poll, confirms the same thing: …

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