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Our Opinion

Our opinion: Part-timers preferable to less legislature

There’s been talk of shrinking the state Legislature for years, and we’re sure that talk will continue for years to come given that Pennsylvania’s statehouse is the largest in the nation. Pennsylvania is one of 10 states that has a full-time legislature, and its 253-member legislature is the largest in the country. While the General Assembly meets nearly every month of the year in Harrisburg, the legislature takes lengthy recesses and votes a few times a month. Actual session days are about the same as states with part-time legislatures like New York, though some legislative ...

Our opinion: Restore fairness to camera law

There is nothing inherently wrong with using stop-arm cameras on school buses. We have seen, both locally and across the state, that too many drivers either don’t know the rules of the road designed to keep children safe while they’re on school buses or simply don’t care about those rules and disregard them. It’s important to keep children safe while they’re on the bus and while they’re getting on and off the bus. In our opinion the stop-arm cameras provide a valuable service. But it’s equally important that the stop-arm cameras be fair to drivers. And right now ...

Our opinion: Water show makes a big splash

County residents have the opportunity to send the summer of 2025 out in style with Kinzua Rocks The Wake, scheduled for Labor Day weekend at Kinzua Beach. The weekend will include water stunt shows and a flurry of tribute bands to Kinzua Beach for three days of water stunt shows and concerts. Water skiing performances will alternate with Ski Extreme’s freestyle jet ski and flyboarding stunts from Wisconsin. Ski extreme specializes in jaw-dropping flips and spins on jet skis, as well as flyboarding, a relatively new extreme water sport that involves a water-propelled board attached ...

Our opinion: Heighten penalties on violence

Legislation introduced recently in the state House of Representatives is misguided, in our view. Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, introduced House Bill 1698 in the spring that would mandate a life sentence in prison for those who are convicted of violent acts against elected officials. The legislation comes after two such attacks in Pennsylvania in less than a year and shortly predates a shooting against Minnesota state representatives. “Our democracy is under siege,” Siegel said. “Extreme partisanship and inflammatory political rhetoric have fueled a dangerous culture of ...

Our opinion: Sharing can benefit rural students

Course sharing across the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is one step closer to becoming reality. It’s a program that will make education easier for college students, particularly those who are attending smaller, rural state colleges in the PASSHE system. Many of the students within the PASSHE system opt to attend the school in or near their hometown, which can limit their studies depending on the strengths and individual course offerings of their respective schools. For some students, the availability of more classes can make the difference of whether or not they ...

Editor’s corner: Can Stefanik conquer Big Blue wave of New York?

Western New York Republicans know the clock is ticking when it comes to the 2026 election for New York governor. During a political fundraising event June 30 in West Seneca, party leaders and supporters came to hear from their potential great hope to be the next leader of the Empire State: ...