HATE CRIMES

HARRISBURG - Victims of hate crimes who are gay, female or disabled no longer have special protections under state law.
The state Supreme Court has upheld a lower-court ruling striking down the 2002 expansion of the Ethnic Intimidation Act that covered sexual orientation, gender identity, and physical or mental disability.

In a unanimous decision, the court affirmed a 2007 Commonwealth Court ruling that the Legislature unlawfully inserted the hate-crime language into an unrelated agricultural-terrorism bill.

Michael Marcavage, founder and leader of a Lansdowne-based Christian evangelical group and one of the plaintiffs in the case, called Wednesday's ruling a "victory for constitutional government."

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/25930749.html

THE BIBLE
Peter Enns, a Westminster Theological Seminary professor whose recent suspension on theological grounds drew national attention, has agreed to leave the Glenside seminary on Friday.
In March, the school's trustees voted, 18-9, to suspend Enns "for the good of the seminary" because his 2005 book Inspiration and Incarnation encourages Bible-believing Christians to accept that the Bible was the work of both humans and God.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/25930754.html

SPAIN TO LEASE PA TURNPIKE

The legislature may be on vacation, but there's no rest for the combatants in the battle over a lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Opponents and supporters of the lease plan are busy lobbying in Harrisburg, Washington and the rural reaches of Pennsylvania in preparation for what they expect to be a furious finale in September.

The Spanish-U.S. consortium that wants to lease the turnpike for $12.8 billion is touting additional billions that it says it will fork over to Pennsylvania in taxes.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which wants to keep control of the turnpike and put tolls on Interstate 80, is pointing to the nearly $1 billion that it will have funneled to highway and transit projects by the end of this week.

And congressmen on both sides are weighing in on what could be a crucial decision: the federal ruling on Pennsylvania's application to toll I-80. A decision could be made by the Federal Highway Administration within three weeks, in time to affect the legislative wrangling in Harrisburg.

Gov. Rendell, who has a foot in both camps, said he believed the hopes for leasing the turnpike ride on that forthcoming decision by the federal government.

"I think it depends on the I-80 tolling application," he said Monday. "If they turn us down, I think there's a very good chance of passing the turnpike lease."

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/26089444.html

PENN DOT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST REAL ID

For those of you who are not aware: L-1 Identity Solutions has already made it clear of their plans to incorporate biometrics in practically every facet of our lives. Of course, they believe this is a good thing. We all know that it is identity theft in the worst way. You can check out their website, if you haven't already at www.11id.com.

MORE TAX MONEY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

MORE THAN one-fourth of the nation's nearly 600,000 bridges needs to be repaired or replaced, Gov. Rendell and other officials said yesterday.
At a news conference beneath the Interstate 95 overpass at Richmond and York streets, in Port Richmond, Rendell called for the federal government to provide $140 billion to address the issue.

Rendell recently signed a $350 million initiative to expedite repairs to 411 state bridges.

"No matter how hard a state applies its efforts and its resources to this problem, it's never going to make enough of a dent without significantly and radically increased federal help," Rendell said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/26023979.html