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Pizza Perfect voted Best Square Pizza and Best Wings by Times Leader readers

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Bucci Laser Vision is tops in world of ophthalmology

<p>HARRISBURG &#8212; Secretary of State Pedro A. Cort&#233;s reminds Pennsylvanians Monday is the last day to register to vote in the April primary election.</p><p>&#8220;Voting is one of the most fundamental rights we have as citizens,&#8221; Cort&#233;s said. &#8220;Over the history of this nation, many people have made extraordinary sacrifices to protect that right for us. We honor them every time we go to the polls and cast our ballot.&#8221;</p><p>On April 26, primary voters registered as Republican or Democrat will choose:</p><p>&#8226; The two parties&#8217; nominees for president, as well as for the statewide offices of Attorney General, Auditor General and Treasurer.</p><p>&#8226; Additionally, voters will choose party nominees for one U.S. Senate seat and Pennsylvania&#8217;s 18 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.</p><p>&#8226; Also on the party ballots will be all state House seats in the General Assembly and state Senate seats with odd-numbered districts.</p><p>Pennsylvania law requires a closed primary, meaning only voters registered as Democrats or Republicans will select nominees to represent their respective party in the Nov. 8 general election. However, all registered voters, including those registered with a minor political party or no affiliation, may vote on any proposed amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution on the primary ballot.</p><p>Cort&#233;s also reminds eligible citizens the state&#8217;s online voter registration (OVR) site makes registering or updating an existing registration easier than ever before. A new signature upload feature means all users can complete the electronic application process online.</p><p>Individuals wishing to register to vote in the April 26 primary must be:</p><p>&#8226; A citizen of the U.S. for at least one month before the primary.</p><p>&#8226; A resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which the individual desires to register and vote for at least 30 days before the primary.</p><p>&#8226; At least 18 years of age on or before the date of the primary.</p><p><strong>Legislation would increase penalties for repeat</strong></p><p><strong>DUI offenders who commit vehicular homicide</strong></p><p>HARRISBURG &#8212; House Judiciary Committee Majority Chairman Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin, moved legislation to increase the penalties for repeat DUI offenders who commit vehicular homicide during the Judiciary Committee&#8217;s scheduled weekly voting meeting.</p><p>&#8220;Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol causes tens of thousands of deaths and injuries every year in our state,&#8221; Marsico said. &#8220;It is obvious to me that penalties need to be harsher in order for us to temper this very serious problem.&#8221;</p><p>House Bill-1353 would increase the grading of the offense of vehicular homicide while under the influence from a felony of the second degree to a felony of the first degree, and would increase the mandatory sentence from the current three years to five years, where the defendant has been previously convicted of a DUI or another felony traffic offense such as vehicular homicide or vehicular assault.</p><p>In addition to House Bill 1353, several other bills moved through the committee this week, including:</p><p>&#8226; House Bill 220: Would amend the Vehicle Code to require a person ordered by law enforcement to pull a vehicle over not only to stop, but also to remain in or at the vehicle. Currently, the statute does not apply to a person who pulls a vehicle over, then flees on foot. Grading of the offense would not change.</p><p>&#8226; House Bill 443: Would amend Title 20 by adding &#8220;grandchild&#8221; to the list of family members to whom a bank may pay the balance of the account of a decedent without requiring the appointment of a personal representative.</p><p>&#8226; House Bill 869: Would amend the animal cruelty statute with regard to the provision, allowing the sentencing authority to order forfeiture or surrender of any abused, neglected or deprived animal of the defendant to a society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals following conviction. The bill makes the forfeiture or surrender mandatory, not discretionary.</p><p><strong>Democratic senators call for statewide task force,</strong></p><p><strong>more testing to determine extent of lead problem</strong></p><p>HARRISBURG &#8212; With water in 18 Pennsylvania cities testing higher than Flint, Mich., for elevated blood lead levels, and a growing chorus of evidence indicating a worsening statewide lead problem, the Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee Chairman Vince Hughes, several of his Senate Democratic colleagues and state health officials are offering a focused course of action to better protect children and their families.</p><p>&#8220;Whether it&#8217;s lead in the water or in the peeling paint that still clings to aging homes and school buildings, we believe we have a problem that will only grow worse if we do nothing to help now,&#8221; Hughes said. &#8220;Our five-bill package today will help us get a better understanding of lead and how it is threatening generations of Pennsylvanians.</p><p>&#8220;The effect of lead is not reversible, and it&#8217;s pretty serious,&#8221; Hughes said. &#8220;Experts are talking about lead&#8217;s potential relationship to learning disabilities, autism and behavioral health problems. We must do more to stop this trend.&#8221;</p><p>Sens. John Yudichak,D-Plymouth Township, Art Haywood, D-Philadelphia, Shirley Kitchen, D-Philadelphia, Wayne Fontana, D-Allegheny and Hughes are each sponsoring one bill in the five-bill package:</p><p>&#8226; SB-1173 (Yudichak) would create a task force to study the scope of the lead issue, including an accounting of the age of the state&#8217;s housing stock, pipelines, school buildings and day care centers. It would also study best practices and make recommendations.</p><p>&#8220;In 2014, I sponsored legislation that was enacted to reduce the levels of lead in drinking water. It is a critical public health and environmental issue. We need to be doing everything we can to reduce the public&#8217;s exposure to lead,&#8221; Yudichak said. &#8220;That is why I am introducing SB 1173. This task force would look at all the pathways that the public can be exposed to lead and make recommendations as to how we can reduce the risk of lead exposure.&#8221;</p><p>&#8226; SB-1174 (Haywood) would require every school building to be tested (water, paint, soil) for lead before a school year begins. Test results would be sent to parents of every enrolled child and posted on school district websites. If a school tests at lead levels higher than the Centers for Disease Control&#8217;s acceptable amount, it would be required to submit a remediation plan to the state Department of Education.</p><p>&#8226; SB-1175 (Kitchen) seeks to require lead testing (water, paint, soil) in day care centers licensed by the PA Department of Human Services. DHS would be prohibited from issuing a license to a day care operator if lead levels are higher than CDC recommended readings.</p><p>&#8226; SB-1176 (Fontana) would require any agreement of sale for real property in the commonwealth to include an option to have the water tested for lead.</p><p>&#8226; SB-1177 (Hughes) would create a &#8220;SuperFund for Lead Abatement&#8221; that could be used by schools, day care centers and other organizations to defray lead remediation costs.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Cortes </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Cortes-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Cortes </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Rep.-Ron-Marsico.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Marsico </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Rep.-Ron-Marsico.jpg</photo1><caption1>Marsico </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Capitol Roundup: Monday is deadline for registering to vote in April primary