New Law Gets Tough on Drivers’ Unpaid Restitution

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Previously, Pennsylvanians who owed restitution for a driving-related offense would only have to pay half in order to get back their license.  “So a lot of them were paying the 50% and then not paying the residual; they were just not owning up to their responsibilities and paying the full amount,” explains state Rep. Keith Gillespie (R-York). 

That was before Governor Tom Corbett signed Gillespie’s HB 1617 into law.  Once it takes effect, in 90-days, Gillespie says offenders will be subject to the loss of their driver’s license if they don’t pay the full restitution. 

York County’s Clerk of Courts first brought the problem to Gillespie’s attention.  “I think he’s facing about $3-million dollars in unpaid restitution,” Gillespie says.  Statewide, it’s a $90-million dollar problem. 

The bill received bipartisan support in the legislature before being signed this week.  It does allow for offenders with a large restitution tab to set up a payment plan, and keep their license as long as their account is current.

Auditor General Wants Controls on Tattoo Industry

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The state Auditor General is calling on lawmakers and the state Health Department to step up the state’s role in regulating the tattoo industry.

Auditor General Jack Wagner believes Pennsylvania needs to license and regulate tattoo parlors and artists.  He says it’s an invasive procedure that presents the risk of infection if equipment is not properly sterilized.

Wagner says the state has upwards of 750 tattoo parlors or artists.  He believes all parlors should be licensed by the Health Department with regular safety and sanitation inspections.

Wagner would also require training for tattoo artists, which may include apprenticeships, first aid and CPR training.  He wants to require liability insurance for tattoo establishments.

A bill was introduced in the state house last month that would address some of those concerns. HB 2617 would direct the state Health Department to establish health standards for tattooing, body piercing and corrective cosmetics.

Turnpike Chief to Step Down

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The CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will step down at the end of the month.  Roger Nutt cited health concerns in his letter of resignation.  Turnpike Commission Chair William Lieberman had mixed emotions in his response, but recognized the move is in the best interest of Mr. Nutt’s long-term health.  Nutt was named Turnpike CEO in March 2011. 

It was under Nutt’s leadership that the Turnpike Commission has taken the next steps toward All-Electronic Tolling.  Just last month Nutt testified before the House and Senate Transportation Committees, asserting the Turnpike’s finances are solid.

Sandusky Sentenced

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Ex-Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky will spend the next 30 to 60-years in state prison.  Specially Presiding Judge John Cleland handed down the sentence, this morning, after hearing statements from several victims and a rambling ten minute speech from Sandusky himself. 

“I believe that the sentence the court imposed today was a wise and proper one, and that it reflected the seriousness of the defendant’s crimes, the harm that he caused and the need to remove him from society,” state prosecutor Joe McGettigan told reporters outside the Centre County Courthouse. 

For the 68-year-old Sandusky, this means that he would be nearly 100-years old, if he’s ever a free man again.   Sandusky was sentenced about three months after he was convicted on 45-counts of child sex abuse, and nearly a year after the scandal initially broke at Penn State.   

State prosecutor Joe McGettigan

McGettigan says Sandusky displayed deviance, narcissism and an unwillingness to accept responsibility.  “In fact, his statement today was a masterpiece of banal self-delusion.” 

Jerry Sandusky will continue to fight the charges, however, and his lawyers are already working on their appeals.  “I can get you three continuances for a parking ticket; I can’t get one continuance for Jerry Sandusky,” defense attorney Karl Rominger explained from the courthouse lawn.  “I think that fundamentally taints the fairness of the process.”  Both Rominger and defense attorney Joe Amendola lamented that they had only four and a half months to mount Sandusky’s defense on scores of serious charges. 

In ten days, Sandusky is scheduled to go to the State Correctional Institution Camp Hill where he will be processed, and then placed in a state prison to be determined at a later date.

(WBUS Program Director Tony Ricciardi reported from Bellefonte for Radio PA)

Not Your Average Job Search Website

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This new career tool, developed by the state Department of Labor and Industry, isn’t your average job search website.  PA Career Coach is designed to make sure Pennsylvanians are ready for the jobs that become available.  “First, it’s innovative.  Second, it’s common sense,” explains Governor Tom Corbett.  “We don’t always get that combination in state government… but we are working and striving hard to change that.”

Students, displaced workers and others who visit the new website will find out what jobs are in demand in their hometowns, what they can expect to earn and how to find specific training nearby.  Users can also link to current job postings. 

The new job search tool was announced at a news conference inside the Department of Labor and Industry building, where Governor Corbett said the state is growing new job markets like the Marcellus Shale.  “But what good is that growth if Pennsylvania workers don’t know how to break into those job markets?” he asked.  

PA Career Coach is bridging that gap.  Officials say it’s just part of a comprehensive job-matching initiative the Corbett administration will launch later this year. 

Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Julia Hearthway demonstrates the PA Career Coach website.

The statewide unemployment rate currently stands at 8.1%.  September’s numbers are scheduled to be released next week.

Our Next “Ask the Governor” Program Is Scheduled for November 8th

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Governor Tom Corbett will be back in our studio on November 8th to give us his post-election thoughts and weigh in on other issues, including your questions.

You can take part in our next program by clicking the “Ask the Governor” link at the top of this page and filling out the form with your brief question or comment. Video clips of the governor answering your questions will be posted here next month.

 

Wilkes Prof. Makes Holiday Sales Forecast

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It’s only October, but consumers are already browsing for their holiday purchases, and Wilkes University’s Dr. Anthony Liuzzo is already out with his 2012 Holiday Retail Sales Forecast.  “I’m predicting that sales with increase by 3%, and that would be same store sales for November and December,” Liuzzo tells Radio PA.  2011 holiday sales increased by 4.1%. 

Liuzzo says consumers want to spend more this year, but consumer confidence remains low and economic conditions may prevent them from opening their wallets too wide. 

In addition to consumer confidence, a litany of variables goes into Liuzzo’s holiday sales forecast.  For instance, the fact that this is a presidential election year is a good thing for retailers.  “Whether it’s Barack Obama or Mitt Romney it really won’t have an impact.  There’s still a certain sense of euphoria, there’s a certain sense that things are going to get better.” 

Another positive for retailers is the day on which Christmas falls.  “We’re going to have our Christmas on Tuesday and that gives us five full weeks [of shopping].  Actually, there are 32-shopping days in this Christmas season.  That is the most there can possibly be, because Thanksgiving falls out very early. 

Consumers spend about $1,000 dollars during the holiday retail sales period, on average.  That breaks down to $700 on family; $150 on friends; $50 on co-workers and $100 on everybody else.

State Holds Off on Controversial Co-Pay for Now

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The state was taking some heat for a plan to require an income based Medicaid co-pay for families with disabled children.  The plan is now on hold, and families of children with autism and other disabilities will not have a co-pay until further notice.

The Department of Public Welfare is reviewing the plan.  Spokeswoman Donna Morgan says they had preferred the option of a premium, but would need federal approval. They had requested a waiver last year, but had not gotten a final answer. The department will renew its efforts to get a waiver to impose a premium.

Morgan says a premium would be a flat fee and easier for families to budget. She says they have been hearing from advocates and stakeholders that they would prefer a premium instead of a co-pay.

The department will notify families once a decision is reached.

Morgan says the program invests over 700 million dollars a year for over 48 thousand families and the state needs to make it sustainable.

Resource Extraction Bill Awaits Governor’s Signature

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A mineral resources bill could provide a new revenue stream for the 14-universities in the State System of Higher Education.  SB 367 is now awaiting the governor’s signature after clearing both the House and Senate.  It would authorize mineral leases for more state-owned land, like prisons or state-owned universities. 

“Currently the law only permits the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and the Game Commission or Fish & Boat Commission to enter into such leases,” explains Senator Don White (R-Indiana), the bill’s prime sponsor. 

The minerals the bill refers to could include everything from limestone to coal; but most importantly Marcellus Shale natural gas. 

Governor Tom Corbett spoke out in favor of the concept on Radio PA’s Ask the Governor program, stressing that horizontal natural gas drilling allows for the wells to be thousands of feet off site – not right in the middle of a the university’s quadrangle. 

“This will be beneficial to the student body, if we get tuition reduction, beneficial to the schools and to the State System of Higher Education,” Corbett explains.

Under White’s bill, money raised from the leasing of mineral rights at a state-owned university would be allocated as follows: 50% stays with the home university, 35% is distributed system-wide, and 15% would be used for tuition assistance across all 14-schools.

RadioPA Roundtable

Radio PA Roundtable 10.05.12

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman and Matt Paul bring you the judge’s ruling in Pennsylvania’s controversial Voter ID case and you’ll hear reaction to the ruling from Governor Tom Corbett. Also, a celebration of Pennsylvania poetry as an event kicks off in the state capitol this week.

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable10-05-12.mp3]