U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, applauded passage Monday of legislation in the House of Representatives that would prohibit candidates from paying their spouses to work on their campaigns."It defies common sense that our campaign finance system allows federal candidates to channel special interest campaign donations directly to their spouses or family members," English said."Although this legislation is not as comprehensive as I would have liked, it is a step in the right direction in helping to close a loophole in our law that is an obvious vehicle for abuse."In 2002, Congress enacted campaign finance reform legislation granting further regulatory authority to the Federal Election Commission, which created a loophole and allowed federal candidates to pay themselves or their family members from campaign funds.While the 2002 campaign finance reform legislation was supposed to clean up the political system, this new provision directly encourages candidates to divert campaign contributions for personal use.The House-approved bill would prevent candidates from using campaign funds to pay their spouses for work on their political campaign.In addition, the legislation requires campaign committees and leadership political action committees to disclose payments to immediate family members to the FEC———U.S. Sen.

Bob Casey, D-Pa., this week introduced a bipartisan resolution in the Senate expressing disappointment and urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to reconsider his decision to suspend the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe treaty.Putin made the announcement on July 14, and the suspension of compliance goes into effect in 150 days."President Putin's announcement that Russia intends to suspend compliance with the CFE Treaty is disappointing and a step backwards for the security of Europe and U.S.-Russian relations," Casey said. "This suspension is only the latest in a series of alarming steps taken by the Putin administration."We need to send a strong message to President Putin that the United States does not condone his actions."Putin's announcement follows a series of threats on the treaty made by Russian officials in response to proposed U.S. plans to deploy missile defense systems in Eastern Europe and construct U.S. training facilities in Bulgaria and Romania.The CFE Treaty, signed in 1990, has served as a force for stability in Europe and is recognized as one of the most successful arms control treaties in modern era.———Butler County Judge

S. Michael Yeager completed the second half of a graduate class entitled, "History and Theory of Jurisprudence,"at the University of Nevada in RenoYeager is enrolled in the master's of judicial studies program at the school, and the recently completed class is a required course for his degree.Yeager's attendance was supported by a scholarship awarded by the State Justice Institute, a non-profit organization that seeks in part to improve the quality of justice in state courts nationwide, and to promote better coordination between state and federal courts.