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Our opinion: Missed deadline on murder sentencing fix inexcusable

Missed deadlines are nothing new for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. But missing a court’s deadline to rewrite sentencing laws for those convicted of second-degree murder is a bridge too far, even for Pennsylvania lawmakers. In Commonwealth v. Lee, the state Supreme Court struck down mandatory life sentences for people convicted of second-degree murder as unconstitutional under the state constitution. The ruling stems from the conviction of Derek Lee, who is serving a mandatory life sentence for the death of a man in a 2014 home invasion in Pittsburgh. Attorneys for Lee argued ...

Our opinion: District can make its own cell phone decision

It is likely that the state General Assembly will, at some point, get together on a final version of legislation banning the use of cell phones in schools during the school day. Given the experience of neighboring states, including New York, we have a hard time believing the state Legislature hasn’t yet come to agreement. But, sooner or later Pennsylvania will end up adding the commonwealth to the list of states that limit student cell phone use. Unlike the legislature, which has shown no problem with not meeting deadlines on small things like the state budget, school districts ...

Editor’s corner: Challengers need to spice up insipid races

As the month of July melts into the sunset, August begins to turn up the heat when it comes to this campaign season. In both Pennsylvania and New York, it appears incumbents are in complete control with the election 95 days away. Across the nation, Gov. Josh Shapiro is seen as a rising star ...

Our view: Rising rates keep shocking customers

Across Pennsylvania, rising rates for electricity are creating problems for numerous households. This week, the Altoona Mirror reported, a progressive new campaign, dubbed Building a Brighter PA, brought a call for protections to lower consumer electric bills while generating more power from renewable energy sources. "Electric generation rates have also increased between 18%-52%, depending on where you live in the state," said Elizabeth Marx, executive director of the Public Utility Law Project. "The combined impact is severe, with roughly one in four state families reporting difficulty ...

Our opinion: An important animal message

Another slate of animal abuse charges in Warren County will, we hope, send a needed message to those who own animals not to get in over their heads. Last week, two Youngsville residents were each charged with seven third-degree felony charges related to the late June seizure: one count of each of aggravated cruelty to animals – torture and six counts each of aggravated cruelty to animals – causing serious bodily injury or death. They also each face 31 counts of third-degree misdemeanor neglect of animals – vet care and citations for application dog licenses/fees, penalties, ...

Our opinion: Game wardens’ job just got harder

We’re honestly a bit surprised that the state Supreme Court has overturned nearly 100 years of precedent by ruling Fourth Amendment protections apply to all private property no matter the distance away from a private home. Previous case law had created what was known as the Open Fields Doctrine, which authorized searches of private property not immediately surrounding a private home. Game wardens used the rule, which was reaffirmed as recently as 2007 in Russo v. Commonwealth, a case in which the state Supreme Court held that the state Game Commission could enter open fields in ...