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Act 13 still a smart deal for Pennsylvania communities

Other Commentaries

When Pennsylvania’s Act 13 was signed into law 14 years ago, the goal of the bipartisan policy was straightforward: encourage responsible natural gas development, further strengthen environmental safeguards and ensure local communities see real, lasting benefits tied to energy production. Nearly a decade and a half later, the results speak for themselves. Since 2012, the Act 13-created impact fee – Pennsylvania’s unique tax on natural gas production – has generated over $3.1 billion in revenue for counties and municipalities across the state, with hundreds of millions ...

What other newspapers are saying: Rigid public comment rules do more harm

Editorials

Public comment periods are meant to let people talk to the government. Sometimes it’s about actions that are happening or decisions that are pending. Sometimes it’s about bringing problems to the government’s attention. A comment period is one mechanism municipalities, school boards and other agencies can use to make that process tick by with clockwork efficiency. It prescribes when a speaker can speak. It sets up the format. It establishes the time frame. It also moves the blame. It isn’t council’s fault you only get a few minutes to speak. It’s the policy. That can work ...

Violence and misogyny

Letters

America’s fertility rate dropped to a historic low: govfacts.org reported in December 2025 the fertility rate is 1.6 children per woman, well below the 2.1 per woman level needed to maintain the current population(without immigration). The rising cost of living-childcare, education, housing-all contribute to a falling birth rate. Furthermore, social norms and shifting priorities , people marrying later or not at all, and concerns about the future (climate change, political instability) also play a part. The most telling reason , though, is women making a conscious decision to ...

Paper ballots

Letters

In this day and age with all this concern about rigged elections and cheating (rightfully so) I’d like to see an aggressive movement towards imposing paper ballots, voter I.D. and same day voting in all local, state and Federal elections. No mail-ins except for Service personnel abroad and illness/handicapped individuals. I honestly believe anyone who feels differently must be planning on cheating. Let’s bring respect and integrity back in our elections and eliminate all of these voting machines. GEORGE W. LOCKETT Morris Submitted by Virtual Newsroom

State needs to ban ‘gas station heroin’

Editorials

The colorful packaging bears trippy names like ZaZa, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus and Purple Magic. Sold as an elixir or in pill form, the products promise feelings of “euphoria,” “happiness” and “bliss,” and are marketed to grab the attention – and cash – of young and old consumers alike. What the labels don’t disclose is that the main ingredient, tianeptine, is a highly addictive substance, and in high doses can mimic the effects of opioids, causing seizures, cardiac arrest, respiratory issues and ultimately death. Unregulated, it’s being sold as a “dietary ...

Deck is stacked

Letters

As I write this letter, on April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court has once again shown itself to be another political branch of our government, not the apolitical guardian of the Constitution the Founding Fathers intended. They have decided, along biased party lines, that gerrymandering to ensure every voter an equal voice is unconstitutional, but gerrymandering to give one party an advantage is perfectly fine…and can be done whenever - not on the traditional 10-year timetable that is tied to the census. Gerrymandering is “the political tactic of manipulating the boundaries of electoral ...