http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state RSS Feed for P-com News State en-us Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091122_Living_testimony_from_a_Pa__ghost_employee.html HARRISBURG - For decades, Pennsylvania government has been haunted by ghosts - the illegal kind embodied by patronage hires who, though flesh and blood, don't do a stitch of work for their government salaries. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091121_Flight_to_Ohio_rescues__puppy-mill__dogs.html When a Philadelphia animal-welfare activist heard that nearly 400 Lancaster County dogs had been trucked to an auction in Ohio last month, he saw it as a chance to call attention to animal abuse in Pennsylvania. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091120_Clout__Rushed_to_center_stage.html A TWO-TERM congress- man looking to knock off a five-term senator in a primary election needs a lucky break or two. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091119_Lack_of_inflation_freezes_Pa__lawmaker_pay.html HARRISBURG - Inflation, or a lack thereof, has done what Pennsylvania lawmakers refused to do - freeze their salaries, at least for the next year. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091119_Now__Rendell_says__it_s_time_for_reform.html HARRISBURG - Gov. Rendell vowed yesterday to be a low-key but resolute advocate for government reform during his last year in office, saying special interests hold too much sway in Harrisburg. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091118_Probation_for_repentant_Fumo_sec_y.html Vince Fumo's longtime executive secretary in Harrisburg was sentenced in federal court yesterday to four years' probation in connection with a scheme to steal $70,000 by submitting bogus invoices for Senate reimbursement for meals at a posh Philadelphia restaurant. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091118_John_Baer__Is_democracy_in_danger____are_we_ungovernable_.html A NUMBER OF fellow Pennsylvanians in recent conversations and e-mails ask if I believe that we're ungovernable. Interesting question; I know some think we are. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091118_In_wake_of_probe__House_GOP_makes_changes_to_police_itself.html HARRISBURG - The leader of the state House's Republicans said yesterday that he and his colleagues were strengthening their spending rules, naming an "ethics officer," and living under the assumption that every one of them remained under scrutiny in the so-called Bonusgate probe - including himself. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091118_Pa__House_panel_approves_hate-crimes_bill.html HARRISBURG - Two years after a court threw out language that extended the state's hate-crimes law to protect gays, women, and the disabled, a bill to reinstate those protections has cleared its first hurdle in the General Assembly. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20091117_More_layoffs_for_Pa__state_workers.html HARRISBURG - Blaming the tough economy and deep budget cuts, the Rendell administration announced yesterday it would lay off 319 more employees across 10 state agencies, bringing to 769 the total number of government jobs cut over the past year.