State Sen.

Jane Orie, R-40th, is sponsoring a two-bill package that would provide property tax exemptions to families of service members killed in action and to more disabled veterans.Orie's first bill would extend the Veteran's Property Tax Exemption, which provides 100 percent property tax relief, to surviving spouses of services members, including National Guard, killed in action.Orie's second bill calls for a state constitutional amendment to expand the Property Tax Exemption Program for Disabled Veterans.Currently, an honorably discharged veteran must be 100 percent disabled to receive a 100 percent exemption from property taxes.The proposal would provide tax exemptions to all disabled veterans at a percentage corresponding to his or her level of disability, as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.Both bills were referred to the Senate Finance Committee for action.———The state Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on Tuesday approved legislation introduced by Sen.

Don White, R-41st, that would establish a special review board to arbitrate coal bed methane well disputes.Specifically, the measure calls for the creation of a three-member Coal Bed Methane Review Board to consider objections and attempt to reach an agreement on issues such as the location of coal bed methane wells and/or access roads.Currently, disputes between surface land owners and the holders of mineral rights for those properties are often resolved in county courts."This bill will not change the respective rights and obligations of either party,"White said, "but rather create a timely, less expensive process that will help clear up these disputes without going to court."The proposed review board would be made up of a member appointed by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and a member appointed jointly by the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association, the Independent Oil and Gas Association and the Pennsylvania Coal Association.Also, serving on the board would be a member appointed jointly by the deans of the College of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences of Penn State University.———The state Senate last week approved four bills aimed at cracking down on methamphetamine labs, according to co-sponsor Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th."The bills we approved will make it a crime to possess the chemicals necessary to make this drug," Robbins said, "and also will make criminals pay for the environmental mess that their meth labs create."One bill would make the offense of operation of methamphetamine laboratory a second-degree felony.The bill also would make it a first-degree felony if the chemical reaction occurs within 1,000 feet of schools or child care facilities or within 250 feet of property on which a recreation center or playground is located.Another bill would amend the state drug law to prohibit the possession of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine or a product containing these ingredients, or any of their salts, optical isomers or salts of optical isomers with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.The third bill would require any person convicted of operating a methamphetamine laboratory to reimburse the appropriate law enforcement agency for the costs of cleaning up the environmental hazards of the laboratory.The fourth bill would make the illegal dumping of methamphetamine waste a third-degree felony.The crime would be a first-degree felony if a chemical reaction occurs within 1,000 feet of schools or child care facilities, or within 250 feet of property on which a recreation center or playground is located.The package of bills was referred to the state House of Representatives for consideration.