Mike Kelly

U.S. Reps.

Mike Kelly, R-3rd, and

Jason Altmire, D-4th, on Wednesday voted for legislation that would allow any person with a valid concealed firearm permit to carry a handgun in any other state with concealed permit laws.The National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Act, which both Kelly and Altmire co-sponsored, requires states that issue concealed permits to recognize other states already issued concealed handgun permits.Kelly said the measure seeks only to extend reciprocity agreements that already exist among a majority of states.Altmire noted in more than two-thirds of the states, citizens are issued concealed handgun permits.“This legislation is a common-sense approach to protecting gun owners' rights,” he said.———The state Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen.

Mary Jo White, R-21st, and the Senate Majority Policy Committee, held joint public hearings Tuesday and Wednesday on flood mitigation and stormwater management.Many communities face ongoing flooding issues, with several hit especially hard by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, White noted. The joint panel heard from engineers and infrastructure experts, along with local, state and federal officials.“In the wake of the recent flooding across Pennsylvania,” White said. “we heard from a number of communities that were devastated.”She said testimony will “allow us to gather information on what federal, state and local agencies are currently doing and what we could do better as we move forward. What can we do to mitigate damages and to limit the burdens on the residents of Pennsylvania?”The committees heard about engineering solutions to stormwater runoff, such as the use of green infrastructure design and ongoing maintenance of stormwater systems.They also took testimony from representatives of the state Department of Environmental Protection, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Video and testimony from the hearing are at Sen. White's website, senatormjwhite.com.———

The state Senate on Tuesday passed legislation that would bring Pennsylvania into compliance with federal law and ensure that Pennsylvania meets national standards to strengthen sex offender registration and notification.Sen. <B>Jane Orie</B>, R-40th, said the bill will strengthen the state's efforts to track sex offenders, include the state as part of a national registry that law enforcement officials can access, and expand the list of sexually violent offenses covered under the law.The commonwealth must bring its law into “substantial compliance” or suffer a 10 percent reduction in federal crime protection grants.“The Adam Walsh Act is crucial to protecting our children from predators because it seeks to create a national sex offender registry that will be available on the Internet and have uniform enforcement,” Orie said.“The act also provides stricter prison sentences for offenders who fail to register and keep their information current.”———U.S. Rep. <B>Jason Altmire</B> this week voted for legislation to reduce the number of unemployed veterans.The VOW to Hire Heroes Act was added to a House bill that seeks to repeal the 3 percent withholding provision for businesses that contract with federal, state, and local governments.“In addition to lifting a burdensome tax increase on businesses,” Altmire said, “we are providing incentives for putting America's heroes back to work when they return from their service.“This tax credit to help veterans find steady footing in a sluggish economy was one of the most important pieces of President Obama's jobs package.U.S. Rep. <B>Mike Kelly</B>, R-3rd, also voted for the measure.The bill would:• Expand education and training with up to one year of additional Montgomery GI Bill benefits to qualify for jobs in high-demand sectors, while also providing disabled veterans up to one year of additional Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits;• Improve the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to provide service members with the basic understanding of how to get a job;• Help with the transition from active duty service to veterans status by allowing service members to qualify for veteran's status while still on active duty when applying for positions with the federal government;• Translate military skills and training into civilian sector specialties, making it easier for veterans to get licenses and certification; and• Provide tax credits to businesses of up to $2,400 for hiring veterans who are unemployed for more than four weeks up to six months, $5,600 for hiring veterans who have been looking for a job for more than six months, and $9,600 for hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been unemployed for at least six of the last twelve months.The bill is awaiting the president's signature.

Jason Altmire