State Rep.

Frank LaGrotta, D-10th, said he is co-sponsoring legislation that would increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $7.15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2007.LaGrotta said the measure is nearly identical to legislation introduced earlier this year by Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Philadelphia.The only difference in the bills is LaGrotta's measure does not include an increase in the minimum wage for 2005."We have to give working families a fair shot at being self-sustaining, productive members of society," LaGrotta said. "Turning the minimum wage into a living wage is a good place to start."The new proposal would increase the wage to $6.25 on Jan. 1, 2006, and to $7.15 on Jan. 1, 2007. The legislation would also provide an annual cost-of-living adjustment in the minimum wage starting in 2008.The state Senate last week unanimously passed legislation co-sponsored by Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th, to improve computer security by preventing "spyware," a tool used by cyber identity thieves to obtain personal information.The measure would make it a crime to distribute spyware to a computer without the user's consent or knowledge.Spyware is a term for a computer program that gathers information through the user's Internet connection and transmits it to a third party. This information, which includes passwords and personal identification numbers, can be used to commit fraud."This is a case of technology advancing more quickly than the law," Robbins said. "Computers and the Internet provide great convenience, but also great opportunity for thieves. Passage of this bill will give Pennsylvania the nation's toughest law against spyware."The measure is a major component of a package of bipartisan legislation to protect personal information and prevent identity theft in Pennsylvania.Other bills include measures to require disclosure of computer security breaches and protect credit reports. A bill co-sponsored by Robbins to protect Social Security numbers is to be taken up by the Senate this month.U.S. Sen.

Rick Santorum, R-Pa., on Tuesday introduced legislation that seeks to boost retirement savings.The 401(k) Enhancement Act: Encouraging Retirement Savings would provide incentives to employers to automatically enroll employees in their 401(k) programs and removes barriers that deter employers from offering automatic enrollment."Encouraging savings and ownership has been one of my top priorities as a U.S. senator," Santorum said."Unfortunately, statistics prove that Americans are not properly saving to live comfortably in retirement. Statistics indicated that less than 40 percent of U.S. workers have calculated how much they will need to retire, 30 percent have not saved anything for retirement, and only 20 percent feel very confident about their retirement savings."Santorum, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, also serves as co-chairman of the Congressional Savings and Ownership Caucus.Residents struggling with home-heating costs can apply for Pennsylvania's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program beginning Nov. 7.State Rep.

Brian Ellis, R-11th, reminded residents of the available aid through LIHEAP, funded by the federal government and administered by the state Department of Public Welfare.The program helps low-income households pay their heating bills and provides assistance to individuals in danger of losing heat due to emergency situations.The 2005-06 program will open on Nov. 7 and eligible residents can continue submitting applications through March 23, 2006, or until funding is depleted.For information about LIHEAP, contact the Butler County Assistance Office at 724-284-8855, or call the toll-free LIHEAP hotline at 866-857-7095. Individuals with hearing impairments can call the TDD number at 800-451-5886.Internet users can access additional information at www.dpw.state.pa.us, keyword "LIHEAP."U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, announced this week the Federal Trade Commission has launched Project OnGuardOnline, a national campaign to educate consumers on how they can protect themselves from technology fraud.The FTC, America's consumer protection agency, teamed up with experts from the technology industry to create a national campaign to tell consumers on how they can avoid internet fraud and practice easy, safe computing methods.The campaign, which is centered around the web site OnGuardOnline.gov, offers tips on how to recognize scams on the Internet, shopping securely online and how to avoid hackers and viruses among others.