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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Focusing on the benefits of restorative justice and revenue generation, Governor Tom Wolf and Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman this week again called on the legislature to take up legalization of adult-use cannabis.
				&ldquo;I urge the legislature to join me in building a foundation now to strengthen Pennsylvania&rsquo;s economy by legalizing cannabis for adult use,&rdquo; Wolf said. &ldquo;This is revenue that can help Pennsylvanians adversely impacted by the criminal justice system access restorative justice programs, it can be earmarked to help our historically disadvantaged small businesses weather the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, and it will give our economy a much-needed boost.&rdquo;
				The COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous disruptions to Pennsylvania&rsquo;s economy, and with additional federal aid stagnating in Congress, Wolf said adult-use cannabis legalization now will go a long way in helping the state&rsquo;s economy recover in the future.
				Some states that have legalized adult-use cannabis have received hundreds of millions in additional revenue.
				Wolf and Fetterman stressed that while it will take time to build a system that will bring in that level of revenue in Pennsylvania, there are things the legislature can and should do now to ensure that the state and its residents can benefit from that revenue as soon as possible.
				Fetterman has long led the charge for decriminalizing possession of small amounts of cannabis, something that can save money and change the path of the lives of people previously convicted of these low-level crimes.
				&ldquo;In 2019, nearly 22,000 people in PA were arrested for having a small amount of marijuana,&rdquo; Fetterman said. &ldquo;We can better devote the time and resources we spend prosecuting these Pennsylvanians for doing something that most of us think shouldn&rsquo;t even be illegal.&rdquo;
				The clear message of the day was urgency and how acting now to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis can have immediate benefits for those most adversely affected by criminalization and legalization now can have long-term benefits for the state and all of its residents.
				Toomey urges passage
				of Thin Blue Line Act
				In the wake of the recent attack on police officers in Los Angeles, California and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, has urged his Senate colleagues to pass his Thin Blue Line Act &mdash; legislation that would ensure criminals face the strongest possible repercussions in federal cases when they kill state or local law enforcement officers.
				However, Toomey said Senate Democrats blocked passage of the legislation, which previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support.
				In a speech on the Senate floor, Toomey said:
				&ldquo;We hope they die. We hope they die. We hope they die. These are the vile words that anti-police protesters yelled on Saturday night outside St. Francis Medical Center in Los Angeles County, California. They were yelling that about two deputy sheriffs who, at the time, were clinging to life inside the hospital. They were clinging to life, just barely, because earlier that night those two deputy sheriffs were brutally ambushed by a gunman who shot them multiple times as they sat in their patrol car simply doing their jobs patrolling the local train station.
				&ldquo;In Lancaster, after that knife-wielding man was shot by an officer who was just protecting his own life, which was obviously under serious risk, protesters came out and started rioting, throwing bricks, rocks, and bottles at police, smashing windows at a police station and a post office, setting a dumpster on fire, despite the fact that the video clearly shows that the officer was being attacked. He was simply defending his life. I have no idea why anyone would protest a police officer defending his own life.
				&ldquo;My bill sends a very simple and clear message: anyone who murders a law enforcement official should be prepared to pay the ultimate price.&rdquo;
				Toomey said anyone who murders or targets a public safety officer should be prepared to pay the ultimate price.
				Toomey went on to say that when a jury in a federal case considers whether to impose the death penalty, the jury must consider certain &ldquo;aggravating&rdquo; factors. He said current law states that if the murder victim is a federal law enforcement officer or federal prosecutor, this fact shall weigh as an aggravating factor in favor of the death penalty.
				Toomey said the Thin Blue Line Act provides the same level of justice to local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and first responders. It also enhances the penalty when a defendant targets a law enforcement officer, prosecutor, or first responder solely because that individual has chosen to protect and serve.
				DCNR experts available
				to offer fall foliage tips
				To celebrate the fall season in Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) experts will be available to serve as regional advisers on fall foliage, offering tips and resources to help residents and visitors experience a colorful autumn in a variety of ways across the commonwealth.
				Fall foliage typically peaks for several weeks beginning in October across Pennsylvania. Starting Sept. 24, weekly fall foliage reports can be found online on the DCNR website and will be updated every Thursday. Visitors can get suggestions about the best spots to view fall foliage on the Penn&rsquo;s Woods Fall Foliage story map and on the Pennsylvania Tourism Office website.
				&ldquo;Throughout the state, our foresters and park personnel look forward to recommending both the best times and locations to glimpse our autumn woodlands in all their splendor,&rdquo; said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. &ldquo;With 121 state parks and more than 2.2 million acres of state forestland, Pennsylvanians truly are blessed with an abundance of prime fall-foliage viewing areas.&rdquo;
				While the leaves are the star of the show, Pennsylvania is abounding with great festivals, pick-your-own farms, and unrivaled haunted attractions that make the state the obvious choice for autumn. Each year, Pennsylvania&rsquo;s nearly 204 million travelers inject more than $43 billion into Pennsylvania&rsquo;s economy, generate more than $4 billion in tax revenues, and are responsible for more than 500,000 jobs related to or benefiting from tourism.
				Regional forestry experts can discuss the chemistry of fall foliage color, as well as the projected outlook for fall foliage in their region of Pennsylvania.
				For fall-inspired festivals and experiences, go to visitPA.com or follow Visit PA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Pursue your happiness and join the conversation using the hash tag #FallinPA.
				Pennsylvanians reminded to apply
				for Lost Wages Assistance Program
				Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jerry Oleksiak this week reminded eligible Pennsylvanians to apply as soon as possible for up to six weeks of assistance through the federal Lost Wages Assistance Program (LWA), which provides up to $300 a week extra in additional funds to individuals that are unemployed (or partially unemployed) because of COVID-19.
				&ldquo;We encourage eligible claimants who are partially or fully unemployed due to COVID-19 who have not yet applied for LWA benefits to do so right away,&rdquo; Oleksiak said. &ldquo;The department will continue making these payments until the program funding we&rsquo;ve already received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is depleted.&rdquo;
				The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced last week that its funding had been depleted and it would be unable to provide additional funding to states to continue the program beyond the week ending Saturday, Sept. 5., 2020. L&I has received approximately $2.8 billion from FEMA for the six weeks of the program. Because FEMA will not be providing any more funding, L&I will be unable to approve claims after this funding is depleted, even if more applicants are qualified.
				LWA payments will be paid in one lump sum to eligible claimants as long as the underlying benefit payment has already been made for those weeks. Payment for claims began Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, and will continue until funding is depleted or until FEMA announces an end date to the program.
				Individuals who may be eligible for LWA but have not yet received payment for an approved week from a qualifying program should still apply as soon as possible. At the time benefits are paid from a qualifying program to an individual for any of the approved dates, the LWA payment will follow one week later if the individual has already completed the LWA certification.
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Wolf, Fetterman: Time to take up legalization of adult-use cannabis