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News You Can Use

March 7, 2008

Deadline to Register to Vote in PA's April 22^nd Primary Rapidly Approaching 

Individuals hoping to vote in Pennsylvania's April 22^nd primary election who are not registered to vote have until March 24^th to do so. On April 22, 2008, voters will cast ballots in the primary election for President and the Commonwealth's 19 Congressional seats. Other races will include all 203 state House of Representative seats, the odd-numbered state Senate seats, and the three statewide row offices of Attorney General, Auditor General and Treasurer. 

Individuals must be registered and enrolled in a major political party to vote in that party's primary.  Electors wishing to vote in a party's primary who are not currently registered with one of the major parties should register as either a Democrat or Republican to participate in the April 22 primary. Pennsylvania Election Code 25 P.S. §299 states: "No elector enrolled and registered as a member of any one particular party shall be allowed to receive or vote the ballot of any other political party at a primary election, and no elector who is not enrolled and registered as a member of some political party shall be permitted to vote at any primary election." 

Individuals applying for voter registration for the April 22 primary must be: a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the primary; 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; and, at least 18 years of age on or before the primary. 

Residents can download a voter registration form from the Department of State at www.VOTESPA.com or locate a list of the various locations around the state where one can register to vote. This site includes tips for first-time voters and members of the armed services, and instructions on how to cast a ballot.  VOTESPA.com allows voters to obtain directions to their polling place and to check their voter registration.  Some areas of the Web site do require a login to protect voter registration information. For more information on voter registration, call the Department of State's toll free hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772), or visit VOTESPA.com. 

PA Department of Revenue e-Services Center 

If you haven't already filed your Pennsylvania taxes, begin your tax preparations with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue e-Services Center. Catch up now on changes affecting payment of your 2007 state taxes due on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. 

Log onto the same website to file your return and make payment, if one is due.  Access information and forms through the e-Services Center. Forms are also available by calling 1-888-PATAXES (1-888-728-2937). 

Report Potholes to the Pothole Hotline 

Motorists are being reminded they can report encounters with potholes to a PennDOT hotline at 800-FIX-ROAD or 800-349-7623. The hotline is staffed 24/7 during the winter season.  If phone lines are busy, calls are recorded by a voice-mail system and then forwarded to the local county maintenance office. 

PennDOT also wants to know about missing highway signs, high shoulder drop-offs, roadway washouts and other potential hazards. However, the hot-line is not to be used to report traffic accidents, disabled vehicles and other emergencies. 

Callers should be prepared to report the county, municipality and state route number where the problem is located and describe familiar landmarks to help crews locate the problem. 

PennDOT receives between 500 and 1,000 calls a month on the toll-free hotline. A wealth of information on other services provided by PennDOT can be found on its Driver and Vehicle Services webpage.   

Autism Mini Grants Now Available

The Bureau of Autism Services of the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare has announced the availability of mini-grants of up to $500 to support individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. The focus of the project is to serve individuals and families that are not able to access existing support systems for various reasons, e.g., eligibility criteria, age, waiting lists, etc.

Priority will be given to individuals who did not receive this grant from the Bureau of Autism Services in 2007. Total funding for these mini-grants is limited and is on a first come, first served basis. Grant funds may be used for respite/child care, summer camp, recreational or community programs, conferences/workshops and safety modifications. Please see the application for specific information.

Applications must be complete and postmarked by April 18, 2008 to be considered. Applications will only be accepted by mail. The application for the mini-grants along with additional information about the program can be found here.   

Teachers Invited to Workshop on Pennsylvania Coal 

Middle and high school teachers are invited to a three-day program to learn about the issues, causes and effects of abandoned mine drainage in Pennsylvania at the Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock, PA on March 29, April 12 and May 17. 

The workshop, which meets the state Environment and Ecology Standards, will use hands-on activities, field trips, artifacts and local experts to explore the history and impact of coal and coal extraction. Teachers will discover fun and interesting ways to teach students how coal is formed, what it was like to be a coal miner during the 1800's, how technology and environmental regulations have changed the industry and what abandoned mine drainage is and how it can be treated. Field trips will include the Tour Ed Mine, an active limestone quarry, and various reclamation sites. There will be outdoor activities and an out-of-class assignment.   

There is a $130 registration fee, but upon successful completion of all sessions and out-of-class assignments, a stipend of $80.00 will be provided in addition to one Act 48 credit and a variety of books and materials. The workshop is funded by the Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Grants Program. 

For more details about this workshop, contact Wil Taylor at 724-794-6011 or send email to wilbutaylo@state.pa.us. Information on other teacher workshops can be found here.   

Increased Access to Regulations Now On-Line 

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission recently unveiled its new website which will provide the public with expanded access to government regulations and related documents. All regulatory documents, including proposed and final regulations, public comments, legislative comments and the Commission comments and publications, are now available through the website and are keyword searchable. 

Subscribers are encouraged to sign-up through the IRRC website for user-specific automatic e-mail notifications of new documents relating to regulations. 

IRRC was created by Act 181 of 1982 (the Regulatory Review Act) to provide oversight and review of all proposed and existing rules and regulations issued by all departments, boards, commissions, agencies or other authorities of the Commonwealth, excluding the legislature, Fish and Boat Commission and Game Commission, and any court, political subdivision, or municipal or local authority. 

Interested individuals can visit IRRC's website.