The website of

U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire, D-4th, this past week was awarded a 112th Congress Bronze Mouse Award given annually by the Congressional Management Foundation.Of the 618 congressional websites graded, 98 personal office, committee and leadership websites were awarded the competitive honor. Each website is evaluated on a range of categories including communication technology, the use of social media and constituent services.The Congressional Gold Mouse competition is judged by nonpartisan CMF staff in conjunction with Northeastern University, the University of California-Riverside and Ohio State University.Each website is judged from the perspective of a constituent and is not judged based on any policy position.———The state Senate has approved legislation introduced by

Sen. Don White, R-41st, that would provide new options for the leasing of state-owned property for mining or removal of coal, oil, natural gas, coal bed methane, limestone and mineral resources.Senate Bill 367 would give the Department of General Services (DGS) the option to make contracts or leases.Currently, only a few state agencies such as the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission can enter into leases for resource development.Under White’s bill, payments or royalties received from contracts or leases on state-owned land will go to four areas: the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund; the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, PennVest; the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s H2O PA program; and the Oil and Gas Lease Fund.It now goes to the House for consideration.———

Altmire voted this past week for a bill that repeals a tax increase on businesses set to take effect in 2013.The bill, co-sponsored by Altmire and nearly two-thirds of the other representatives, removes the 3 percent withholding on payments made to companies doing business a government.This originally was to take effect on Jan. 1, 2011, but was postponed until 2013. Now, it will not go into effect.