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December 2011 Congressional Redistricting Plan Passes Senate After several months of public hearings and a great deal of work with members of the House and Senate State Government committees, the Senate passed legislation recently that would redraw the boundaries of Pennsylvania's Congressional districts as required by law. Every 10 years, Pennsylvania's Congressional districts are redrawn based on U.S. Census data to ensure state residents receive equal representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. While legislative reapportionment must be completed by a special commission, Congressional reapportionment must be completed by legislation in the General Assembly. The new maps will go into effect for the upcoming 2012 elections. As Chairman of the Senate State Government Committee, I am very proud of the unprecedented level of transparency and public involvement in this process this year. In conjunction with the House of Representatives, the committee held a number of public hearings on this issue to gather testimony and address voter concerns. Video of these hearings is available on the State Government Committee page on my website, www.senatormcilhinney.com. A great deal of information on the Congressional redistricting process is also available online at www.redistricting.state.pa.us. The Legislative Reapportionment Commission also recently passed its final plan for state Senate and House districts. The plan would make relatively few changes to the 10th Senatorial District. Under the plan, I will continue to represent 28 of the district's 30 current municipalities. Due to rapid population growth in our area, Bridgeton Township and Tinicum Township will be served by a new state Senator. It has been a pleasure to represent these communities, and I am confident they will receive strong and capable representation under their new state Senator. State Government Committee Approves Revised Voter ID Bill The Senate State Government Committee approved legislation this month that would help crack down on voter fraud by requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls. The original bill approved by the House only allowed for identification issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Federal government. I drafted an amendment that was approved by the committee that would also allow the use of photo identification issued by colleges and universities as well as care facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities and personal care boarding homes. Another component of this bill is a new absentee ballot provision to protect against voter fraud which will require a voter to provide either their driver's license number, last four digits of their social security number or a copy of their photo ID. Voters who cast a provisional ballot at the polls will be able to submit their proof of identification either by fax, paper copy or electronic submission to their County Board of Elections. The House passed version required a person to appear in person at the County Board of Elections to present their identification. I believe this amendment helps strike the right balance between protecting the integrity of the voting process and avoiding an undue burden on voters. The amendment also clarifies that the Attorney General and District Attorney have jurisdiction over all violations committed under this act. The bill would become effective with the April 2012 primary, but photo ID would not be required until the November 2012 General Election. The bill was sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration. McIlhinney Banking Code Bill Sent to Governor's Desk The House of Representatives passed legislation this week that I introduced to encourage a growing, community-focused banking industry in Pennsylvania. The Senate approved the bill earlier this month, so the legislation will be sent to the governor's desk to be signed into law. My legislation will allow state-chartered banks and savings banks to use abbreviations such as "fed" or "nat" in their names. Current law would not allow state chartered banks to the use the words federal or national. The bill also removes the prohibition against using the words "trust" and "savings" in a bank's name. The legislation will provide state-chartered banks and savings banks with more flexibility in the use of bank names. PA511 Offers Info on Road Conditions for Holiday Travel Millions of state residents will be traveling throughout the Commonwealth to spend time with friends and family during the holiday season. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's PA 511 website provides reliable traffic and winter road conditions information on more than 2,900 miles of roadways. Pennsylvania's official travel information website can help you reach your destination in the most efficient manner when traveling in state. Traffic, weather, and links to other transportation services, including airports, are available for those who will take to the skies this holiday. For more information, please visit www.511pa.com. Extra Time Needed for Birth, Death Certificate Requests The state Vital Records office recently shared some important information regarding the increase in time it takes to obtain birth and death certificates. The estimated processing time is:
Vital Records has seen a record number of birth and death certificate requests this year, due in large part to new laws that require passports for re-entry into the United States. Also, to obtain records from the mid-1970s or earlier, Vital Records must search for records manually, as those files are not yet included in their computer database. To work on the backlog of requests, the Vital Records office has hired
additional staff and have been working most Saturdays this year to increase the
volume of requests they process. Please plan accordingly when seeking to obtain
these records. |
Offices Email: cmcilhinney@pasen.gov
Doylestown Office Morrisville Office Construction Progress on Route 202 202 Redesignation Information Flyer To find updates about the project click
here Pennsylvania Labor and Industry
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