Dems seek rule change as hopes dashed
Some Democrats are banking on changes to the U.S. Senate无毛视频檚 filibuster rules, after Republicans blocked their efforts toward election reform for a third time.
Senators like Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., sharply criticized their colleagues this week for stopping the bill, which would have made Election Day a national holiday and set nationwide standards for early and mail-in voting.
无毛视频淥ur democracy is under siege and today, for the third time this year, Senate Republicans voted against the Senate from even debating legislation to protect voting rights,无毛视频� Casey said Wednesday evening in a written statement.
The failure 无毛视频� which followed months of negotiation and compromise with centrist Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. 无毛视频� underscored the difficulty Democrats face in passing even watered-down legislation.
Some have cited it as another reason to alter or eliminate the filibuster, a Senate tradition that lets a 40-member minority hold up most business indefinitely.
In recent months, Casey has indicated his willingness to cut the filibuster. And he无毛视频檚 not alone among his Democratic colleagues, especially as more of President Joe Biden无毛视频檚 agenda is held up.
无毛视频淚 was elected to serve the people, not an arcane Senate procedure,无毛视频� Casey tweeted in April. 无毛视频淚f the choice comes down to the filibuster or democracy, I know which side I无毛视频檓 on.无毛视频�
Republicans have remained united in their opposition to recent voting-rights bills, despite hopes that Manchin could lead some to back a weaker version. In June, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., called one such bill an 无毛视频渆lection law power grab无毛视频� that would keep states from setting their own rules.
Democrats in Congress have moved with increasing urgency to reform federal election law, especially as GOP-controlled states impose new restrictions. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf has held back new restrictions, but some Republican lawmakers have moved to avoid his veto by passing voter ID rules by constitutional amendment.
As Democrats like Casey argue, state-level restrictions like those passed this year in Georgia could have outsized effects on Black voters.
无毛视频淟et me be clear: At the core of voter suppression is white supremacy,无毛视频� Casey said, citing the long history of restrictions that effectively targeted Black citizens. 无毛视频淥ur democracy is under attack, and we need to keep fighting to ensure all Americans have a say in their government.无毛视频�
Train case spurs Good Samaritan bill
A state lawmaker said he hopes to pass a law requiring bystanders to help crime victims, after a woman无毛视频檚 rape on a Philadelphia-area train drew national headlines this week.
Sen. Jim Brewster, D-Allegheny, said Tuesday he intends to introduce a bill that would require witnesses to 无毛视频減rovide reasonable assistance无毛视频� to anyone facing serious physical harm. He cited a similar Minnesota law 无毛视频� known in some states as a Good Samaritan Law 无毛视频� that makes it a misdemeanor to fail to render aid.
Brewster said he was working on the bill when news broke of the Philadelphia-area case. Police said a man sexually assaulted a woman on a SEPTA train, in view of witnesses who allegedly didn无毛视频檛 provide help or contact the authorities.
The district attorney in Delaware County has since challenged the story无毛视频檚 details, arguing that most passengers likely weren无毛视频檛 aware and that one may have contacted officials. Still, the case has spurred interest in stricter responsibilities for civilian bystanders.
While bystanders in some cases can无毛视频檛 directly help 无毛视频� due to safety concerns, for example 无毛视频� Brewster无毛视频檚 bill would require them to at least call the police. Those who have the opportunity and fail to would face a third-degree misdemeanor, he said.
Bill would call for lax bus licenses
State leaders are struggling to reinforce Pennsylvania无毛视频檚 corps of school bus drivers, as jobs across the country remain unfilled.
This week, two lawmakers said they hope to petition the federal government to relax licensing requirements for bus drivers, while seeking the governor无毛视频檚 help in suspending some testing rules.
School bus routes have been understaffed since at least the start of this school year, although the roots go back further. Observers have pointed to several causes 无毛视频� including coronavirus concerns, retirement among older drivers and the draw of app-based ride-share jobs for younger ones.
无毛视频淚n the last 10 years, the commonwealth lost approximately 2,000 school bus drivers,无毛视频� Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe, and Rep. Tim Hennessey, R-Chester, said in announcing their bill.
In Pittsburgh, the public school year was delayed amid shortages; officials eventually enlisted county transit services to help ferry kids to schools. In Ohio, schools are offering cash bonuses, while in Maryland and North Carolina, drivers have threatened or carried out strikes in recent weeks over pay and conditions.
In Massachusetts, officials called up the National Guard to drive buses amid severe shortages.
Brown and Hennessey are moving to expand Pennsylvania无毛视频檚 driver pool another way: by petitioning the federal government to make it easier to get a license. Under existing rules, school bus drivers must study for several weeks, pass a series of tests and show knowledge of their vehicle无毛视频檚 inner workings.
While their resolution couldn无毛视频檛 change those rules, the lawmakers said they hope to get temporary waivers while asking Congress to relax federal policy, or even create a new license just for school bus drivers.
无毛视频淎 CDL truck driver and a CDL school bus driver are different occupations,无毛视频� Brown and Hennessey said 无毛视频� but when it comes to licenses 无毛视频渢hey are treated the same.无毛视频�
Ryan Brown covers statewide politics for Ogden Newspapers. He can be reached at rbrown@altoonamirror.com.