White Supports House Dems in Act 13 Legal Brief

State Sen. Jesse White joined his colleagues in filing legal brief supporting Act 13 constitutionality challenge.

The House Democratic Caucus, which includes State Rep. Jesse White (D-Cecil), has filed a special legal brief known as an "amicus curiae," to support arguments in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the elimination of local zoning ordinances for oil and gas operations under Act 13, the Marcellus Shale law passed earlier this year. White was named on the brief as one of 30 House Democrats who provided support of the case that charge Act 13 is an unconstitutional "special law that creates a class of one industry with substantially more rights than any other industry, citizen or business in the Commonwealth in violation of Article III, Section 32 of the Pennsylvania Constitution." Several municipalities, including Cecil, Peters, Mt…

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More Than One Thing Smells Funny About Cornerstone Care Closure

State representative says closure could have been prevented if the Department of Environmental Protection had done its job.

Cornerstone Care, a non-profit community health clinic providing a full-range of primary and preventative health, dental and mental care was forced to close their location in the Burgettstown area last week after a third incident requiring evacuation of the employees. The evacuations came after strong odors, described as similar to the smell of nail polish remover, were reported, causing employees to become ill; there were also indications of methane in the clinic’s water supply. The majority of the clinic will remain closed indefinitely; dental services will still be provided in the downstairs portion of the facility, where the odors have not been reported. I’m disturbed about the closure of Cornerstone Care, but I’m even more disturbed …

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Ask the Attorney: Hiring an Attorney

Q: I am planning to hire an attorney for the first time. What should I do to prepare, and what should I expect?

A little preparation by clients goes a long way in helping attorneys quickly decide whether to take a case.  When talking to potential clients for the first time, lawyers need to determine whether they are qualified to help and whether the representation would involve potential conflicts of interest with their existing clients. Before talking to an attorney, take a moment to organize your thoughts and develop a concise and coherent narrative that describes your problem.  Be sure to make note of all other people who are involved in, or affected by your issue. Keep track of any relevant factual details, but leave them out of your first conversation with a lawyer unless asked. During this initial conversation, most attorneys will want all of …

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Primary Win Ends Campaigning

After winning both the Democratic and Republican nominations for the fall general election, state Rep. Jesse White plans to get back to work on issues.

What is a win worth? In this case, a lot. Last Tuesday, the voters of the 46th District chose to re-nominate me for a fourth term as their State Representative. I received not only the Democratic nomination, but also the Republican nomination as the result of an effort of nearly 500 Republican voters who chose to write my name in on their ballot. As a result, I am both the Democratic and Republican party nominee for November’s General Election, and will therefore be unopposed for the first time in my career. Obviously, I want to thank everyone who supported me last Tuesday and over the past six years. My political career has been a grassroots labor of love from the very beginning, and there aren’t enough words to express my deep gratitude …

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Divorce? Annulment? What's the Difference?

Q: How can I get my marriage annulled, and how is that different from a divorce?

Whereas divorce is the procedure for ending a valid marriage, an annulment ends a marriage that is legally invalid. In Pennsylvania, marriages must meet certain requirements to be legal. For example, neither spouse may already be married to another person at the time of marriage, spouses cannot be closely related to one another, and each spouse must have the mental ability to consent to marry. When such requirements are not satisfied, the resulting marriage may eventually be subject to an annulment. Pennsylvania law divides invalid marriages into two categories: void marriages, and voidable marriages. Void marriages are invalid from the start, and the law treats them as if they never existed at all. By contrast, the law recognizes voidable…

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What Do You Think: 10 Random Policy Points

State Rep. Jesse White proposes an experiment. Let's see what happens.

Often times when debating or discussing politics and policy, facts are tossed aside in favor of more emotional arguments. Even worse, when one side of a legitimate but spirited debate falters, it has somehow become acceptable to either refuse to accept the facts as accurate or point out some comparable flaw in an effort to make two wrongs make a right. By way of experimentation, here are 10 totally unrelated facts about issues we deal with in Pennsylvania government. Let’s see what happens. 1. Currently, 11.2 million, or 88 percent, of Pennsylvania’s 12.6 million residents live within a 15-minute drive of a Pennsylvania Wine & Spirits Store.  2. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, more than 467,500 rural Pennsylvanians, or 14 …

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Election 2012: White Seeks Another Term

The Democratic Cecil lawmaker is running unopposed in Tuesday's primary.

State Rep. Jesse White is seeking re-election in the 46th Legislative District, which he has represented since 2006. He is running unopposed on the Democratic ticket. No Republicans are running for the seat in the primary, meaning that he'll face no opposition in the general election. Here's what you need to know about White, whose district includes Cecil Township. Age: 33 What is your current hometown? Cecil Township What is your educational background? 1996 graduate of Beth-Center High School, 2000 graduate of Washington & Jefferson College, 2003 graduate of Duquesne University School of Law. What is your professional experience? Former Cecil Township supervisor (2003-04), former Cecil Township auditor (2006-07), licensed attorney in …

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Payment Plan for Tap-in Fees Now Available

The Cecil Township Municipal Authority approved a formalized payment plan option this week.

Cecil residents who show financial hardship will now be eligible for a payment plan for their tap-in fees. The Cecil Township Municipal Authority on Tuesday unanimously voted to approve a formalized payment plan—a subject that it has been mulling for the past several months. The payment plan would have a term of at least 12 months, with payments due monthly. The authority will lien the customer’s property if even one payment is delinquent. Customers may request a payment schedule longer than 12 months, but would be subject to a lien while the payments are being made. Customers who qualify for the payment plan will pay an interest rate equal to the authority’s bond rate is. Authority Manager Dennis Bell will send a form letter to those …

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Why I Voted To Reduce the Size of the State Legislature

"If people want a smaller legislature, then I have no problem with the sentiment; however, I am somewhat confused about what exactly will be accomplished by eliminating 50 representatives. Depending on what you want to achieve, there may be quicker and mo

Last week, I voted yes on House Bill 153, a bipartisan bill designed to reduce the size of the state Legislature, taking the House of Representatives from 203 members down to 153 and the state Senate from 50 members to 38. I co-sponsored and voted for this bill is because my constituents have made their feelings very clear—they feel Pennsylvania’s Legislature is too big and bloated and should be downsized. Reducing the size of the Legislature requires a constitutional amendment, which must pass the full Legislature in two consecutive sessions and then be placed on the ballot for voter referendum. By law, that process would take until about 2016, and if passed, we would use the data from the 2020 census to reconfigure the legislative …

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