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Both sides of aisle consider rural wireless web a winner

It’s not often Gov. Tom Wolf and President Donald Trump back the same sweeping government program at the same time.

But with Trump approaching re-election and Wolf seeking support for his “Restore Pennsylvania” initiative, both have hit the trail in favor of government-backed broadband internet in rural areas.

Wolf promoted a $4.5 billion plan this week to expand broadband internet into rural Pennsylvania, where his office says nearly a million people lack access to high-speed service. In a visit to a Waynesburg school Friday, Wolf backed the plan as an educational measure — one that could help the state’s out-of-the-way areas catch up with big cities and neighboring states.

“For Pennsylvanians to succeed, we must close the digital divide to ensure every citizen has the access it needs to connect to the ever-expanding digital world in which we live and work,” Wolf said in a written statement. “Our students, parents and teachers deserve better, and we can provide that through ‘Restore Pennsylvania.'”

Wolf’s infrastructure program faces opposition from Republicans in the General Assembly, who remain wary of a proposed Marcellus Shale drilling tax that would fund the work.

But Wolf’s scheme might get a federal equivalent from an unlikely source — Trump’s 2020 campaign.

Trump’s campaign advisers have warmed to a plan in which the federal government would spearhead a nationwide expansion of so-called 5G, an advanced wireless network that backers hope would replace existing 3G and 4G networks familiar to anyone with a cellphone.

The Trump campaign plan would see the government take control of 5G airwaves, then turn control over a contractor that would sell it off to third parties, Politico reported. It has support from prominent venture capitalists who stand to benefit, and could appeal to rural voters stuck with outdated or nonexistent service.

But the idea has stirred opposition from wireless providers and from many members of Trump’s own administration, who would rather see existing companies expand their networks without government help.

While neither Wolf’s nor the Trump campaign’s plans will necessarily come to pass soon, they show the appetite for rural wireless expansion, especially in the face of competition overseas.

“I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible,” Trump said on Twitter last month. “American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind.”

Gun check bill passes

Last week’s Political Notebook looked at federal gun-control legislation with a chance — for the first time in years — to make it through the House.

That bill passed last week, giving Democrats a key victory even if they have little hope of securing it into law.

The bill to make background checks universal for gun purchases passed 240-190, leaving the Senate to act next. Passage there is doubtful, with Republicans in control.

Still, the bill’s passage through the House marks a key step for Democrats who are increasingly vocal about gun-control measures. While some Congress members switched sides, the bill passed largely along party lines, with local representatives firmly opposed.

Rep. John Joyce, R-13th District, and Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-15th District, both voted against the bill, which sought to close legal openings that allow gun transfers without record checks.

“We already have a strong background check system in place thanks to legislation signed last Congress by President Trump,” Joyce said in a news release. “These measures do not keep guns out of the hands of criminals and instead would make criminals out of law abiding citizens and prevent them from being able to defend themselves.”

The background check bill didn’t have universal opposition from Pennsyl­vania’s Republicans: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, cosponsored the resolution and joined his Democratic colleagues in voting for it.

GOP softens on wages

The political wall that has long kept Pennsylvania’s minimum wage below its neighbors’ may be cracking.

With budget season gearing up and Wolf pushing for a long-awaited hike in the state’s $7.25 minimum, GOP leaders appear to have softened in their opposition.

“The minimum-wage discussion needs to happen,” Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, told reporters last week, according to the Philadel­phia Inquirer. “We are open to having a discussion. It’s an important discussion to have … if we can get to a number that is reasonable.”

Corman’s willingness to negotiate comes as wage-hike organizers and Democrats at all levels have ramped up pressure, both in Harrisburg and in Washington. Last week, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., backed a bill — endorsed by organized labor and progressive groups — to raise the federal minimum to $15 per hour by 2025.

The federal minimum is currently level with Pennsylvania’s; a federal increase would automatically raise wages here even if the state remained lower.

In Harrisburg, legislators have debated a wage hike in several committees. Wolf’s proposal to raise the minimum in steps, first to $12 an hour and then gradually to $15, could save the state Department of Human Services and Health tens of millions of dollars, officials told lawmakers last week.

Pennsylvania’s neighbors all have higher wages, ranging from $8.55 an hour in Ohio to $11.10 an hour in most of New York.

Ryan Brown can be reached at rbrown@altoonamirror.com

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