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Trump is right to impose tariffs

Washington is certainly a contentious place these days, and President Donald Trump has undoubtedly been a lighting rod for partisan squabbling. But despite the rough ride in the nation’s capital, the American people may find reasons to agree with at least one effort undertaken by the Trump Administration, since it could help to grow good jobs and boost the overall economy. And that’s in the president’s decision to impose safeguard tariffs on a flood of foreign steel currently being “dumped” into the U.S. market. Steel is uniquely important in successful economies since ...

Tougher state lobbyist law ups tranparency

Here’s something we wish we could say much more often: Score one for transparency and accountability in Harrisburg — thanks to a new measure that stiffens Pennsylvania’s lobbyist-disclosure law. House Bill 1175 was passed in bipartisan fashion, with overwhelming House and Senate majorities, and signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf. It immediately doubles the state Ethics Commission’s maximum penalty for lobbyists who violate the disclosure law, from $2,000 to $4,000. It also increases the flat $50-per-day maximum penalty lobbyists had been paying for late disclosure filings. ...

Court moved too quickly on redistricting

After ruling the state’s map of congressional districts unconstitutionally gerrymandered, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court should have stopped there. By drawing its own map and ordering it implemented for the upcoming elections, the court has exceeded its authority and brought confusion to the political process. Yet that isn’t the half of it. Republican lawmakers, rightly angry with the four Democratic justices who chose to legislate from the bench, are planning legal action to stay the court’s order. That portends even more uncertainty as the May 15 primary bears down on ...

Tougher lobbyist disclosure laws good first step

PennLive.com You just have to appreciate a good first step in the right direction, even if there are many miles to go. That’s our feeling about a bill toughening lobbyist disclosure rules that Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law last week. The measure, among other things, increases the penalties for lobbyists who don’t report their expenditures on time. Sponsored and championed by Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster County, with bipartisan from former Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-Westmoreland County, it doubles the fine for violating the lobbying disclosure law to $4,000 (from $2,000), ...

AMBUCS mission pedals forward

By Rachael Lenhart Close your eyes, and think back to the moment you received your first bike. Do you remember the color? How about the wind in your face when you took off from your parents into your new-found freedom? Did you brag about to your friends at school the next day? This is just one piece of the puzzle the Altoona chapter of AMBUCS provides to individuals with disabilities in our area. I could sit here and outline our mission statement, or I can simply say, we deliver smiles — the biggest smiles from ear to ear you’ve ever seen on the faces of not only our ...

Insurer steps up in fight against opioids

Insurance companies, part of the health care industry, don’t often resort to military analogies to tout their initiatives. But Highmark Inc.’s announcement last week declaring a “war on opioids” seems apt. The company rolled out two new promising programs to enhance its other ongoing efforts to help drive down the opioid addiction crisis that has claimed so many lives in northwestern Pennsylvania and nationwide. First, Highmark has expanded to this region a pilot program launched in West Virginia in 2016. As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported, Highmark, together with ...