PSoTD

Today's Inquirer includes an article on Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Mathews plan to run for PA Lt. Gov. He intends to formally announce on Dec. 7th. I wonder what the story is behind this one.

Like Tom Kovach, Democrat for the 18th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

I'm probably going to build a Pennsylvania Cable Network blog in December to provide a venue for comments on programming and content there, particularly the Pennsylvania government programming/content. I don't plan on becoming a full-time viewer of their programming, so I could use some help with posts. Let me know if you're interested in helping as a posting contributor, thanks!

So why is it that Pennsylvania HB 1318, which has passed the House and is currently sitting in the Senate State Government Committee, would require photo ID for every voter? Isn't that going to be pretty expensive? Isn't that even farther than the Help America Vote Act goes? Is there a big problem that requires this somewhat expensive requirement?

From Penn Live on Wednesday:

A computer programming error is prompting an emergency vote recount today that officials say could change the result of the close race for Carlisle district judge.

Initial unofficial returns showed Republican Kathy Keating defeating Democrat Jessica Becker Rhoades for the six-year seat by 1,650 votes to 1,468.

But the error, found as votes were being counted Tuesday night, may skew that result, Cumberland County Commissioner Gary Eichelberger said last night.

"We don't know at this point what the outcome of this election is going to be," he said. "I won't mince words: [The recount] could reverse it."

Keating and Rhoades both were listed as Democrats in the software coding the electronic scanners used to count votes from the paper ballots, county officials said.

That resulted in incorrect crediting of ballots on which a straight party ticket was voted, they said.

The mistake was made by ES&S of Omaha, Neb., the county's vendor for election services and software, Cumberland officials said.

News from today:

A hand recount has reversed the outcome of a district judge's race, showing that it was decided by two votes.

The recount showed 1,703 votes for Democrat Jessica Becker Rhoades to 1,701 for her Republican opponent, Kathy Keating, according to Jerry Wilkes, information management and technology director for Cumberland County.

Tuesday's unofficial results had Keating defeating Rhoades 1,650 votes to 1,468.

Election officials will try to confirm the hand count result with a machine recount, Wilkes said. But if the machine recount doesn't confirm the hand count, he said, the county could have to repeat the entire recount.

I was having coffee with a member of the government relations community in Harrisburg on Wednesday. Based on the votes on the Justices yesterday, he thought that the Pennsylvania House members will have a "come to Jesus" moment in the very, very near future and accept the Senate's version to repeal the legislator pay raise before Thanksgiving. My friend was of the mind that legislators were waiting to see how electorate anger translated into votes. After yesterday, a lot of scared state legislators will be operating in actual job fear for the next year.

But, there is an expectation that by repealing the pay raise, they will mute the anger and protect the vast majority of their seats next year.

I'm not sure I agree. And in Pennsylvania, if you ever wanted to run for state legislator, 2006 is the year to do it.

It's a week from this Thursday, and unfortunately I can't go, but it does sound interesting...

I hope some blogger does attend and writes about the panel's deconstruction of the Pennsylvania elections of 2005 and predictions of the elections of 2006.

They vote for repealing their own pay raise. Of course, the Pennsylvania House is trying to sneak a backdoor raise by making the provisions nonseverable from the raise for judges. So... if judges were to sue the Commonwealth to get their pay raise back and won, state legislators would get their raise back as well.

The Senate seems to think the public will figure this out. The House seems to think they can pull this one over voters. So it won't go to Rendell until they agree.

Received this email over the transom yesterday, for those who are interested.

The Pennsylvania State Senate Communications & Technology Committee will hold a public hearing on Act 183 of 2004 as it relates to municipal wireless broadband networks. The hearing will take place on Monday November 6, 2005 at Villanova University in the Cinema within the Connelly Center. Testimony will commence at 10 a.m. and continue until approximately 3 p.m.

MEDIA ADVISORY

November 2, 2005

Pennsylvania Senate Communications and Technology Chairman, Senator Rob Wonderling (R-24) will hold a hearing on Monday, November 7, 2005 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Villanova University’s Cinema at the Connelly Center to examine the issue of municipalities providing wireless internet access. Specifically, the hearing will address whether or not a January 1, 2006 deadline under Act 183 should be extended to allow municipalities in Pennsylvania to develop without impediment public wireless fidelity networks, commonly referred to as Wi-Fi technology.

Act 183 provides a one-year window for local governments and authorities to develop a municipally-owned or created telecommunications network for advanced cable and telephone service. The window will close on January 1, 2006, after which time municipalities must offer the incumbent telephone company the right of first refusal to provide the proposed service. If the local telephone company waives its right, the municipality may then proceed in establishing its own network.

Several municipalities in the Commonwealth are offering service to residents through their own networks, or intend to by the end of the year. Other municipalities have expressed an interest in establishing their own network, but will not do so before the January 1st deadline.

The Committee will hear testimony from representatives of local governments who have their own networks or are working on establishing their own, including the City of Philadelphia, which recently announced it is providing citywide wireless high-speed internet access to its residents. The Committee will also hear from representatives of national technology companies who are assisting municipalities in Pennsylvania and around the nation with establishing networks. State associations and national experts who have concerns with the security and fiscal solvency of municipal networks will also testify.