Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Former state Senator Jane Orie has been sentenced to 2 1/2 to 10 years in prison following her conviction on corruption charges. She was immediately taken into custody after the sentencing hearing today in Pittsburgh. The 50-year-old Republican was found guilty in March of theft services, ethics violations, tampering with evidence and forgery for using her legislative staff to run fundraisers and conduct campaign work. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A jury has found state Senator Jane Orie guilty of 14 of 24 counts in her retrial on corruption charges. The jury deliberated for five days, and announced their decision late this afternoon. Orie was found guilty of two counts each of theft of services and conflict of interest and one count of forgery. She was found not guilty of perjury, obstruction of justice and election code violations. The jury also found her not guilty on counts related to campaign work allegedly done for her sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, who is not charged. The guilty verdicts jeopardize her seat in Harrisburg and her state pension. A sentencing date has not been set yet. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

HARRISBURG - Legislation intended to improve the state's efforts to track and prosecute sex offenders and include Pennsylvania in a national sex offender registry received final approval in the Senate and is now headed to the governor for his signature, according to Senator Jane Orie (R-Allegheny), the bill's sponsor. Orie said the bill brings the Commonwealth in compliance with the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Pennsylvania will become part of coordinated and comprehensive national sex offender registry and will be required to meet strict standards for posting offender information on a centralized Internet data base. The Act was named for Adam Walsh who was abducted from a Florida shopping mall and later found murdered. Senate Bill 1183 also closes loopholes in Megan's Law regarding homeless offenders and out-of-state offenders to ensure that they register under Megan's Law and more carefully track their whereabouts. "This legislation will he...

A judge has declared a mistrial in the public corruption case against state Senator Jane Orie and her sister after he agreed with prosecutors who argued documents entered into evidence by the defense were doctored. Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey Manning declared the mistrial after a prosecution witness testified that documents bearing the signature of a key prosecution witness had been cut and pasted from another document. Orie and her sister, Janine, are charged with using the senator's staff to perform illegal campaign and fundraising work for the senator and a third sister, Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin. Melvin has not been charged.

The state Senate Appropriations Committee voted on Saturday morning to report House Bill 1416 – the budget bill – to the full Senate with a "negative recommendation." Republican leaders opposed the House plan to remove higher education from the general fund budget. The House proposal would either create a $1.3 billion deficit in the budget requiring Pennsylvania to either raise taxes or strip funding from State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities, as well as Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and Lincoln University and community colleges. Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi says it's "obviously not a real proposal. It is an arbitrary division of a block of spending that presumably they picked because they thought it had some appeal – and it was unfunded." The only way to fund it in their scenario, he said, is by raising new taxes. For those reasons, he characterized it as not helpful, not productive and not something...

The Senate today unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Senator Jane C. Orie, Majority Whip (R-Allegheny) which seeks to improve public safety while at the same time providing more extensive supervision of non-violent offenders. Problem solving courts, which include mental health courts and drug courts, divert non-violent offenders from more costly jail cells and encourage rehabilitation through extensive supervision. "As a former prosecutor and a strong advocate for improving our drug rehabilitation and mental health systems, I believe this legislation is crucial to helping those in need and to improving public safety," Orie said. "These courts will reduce prison overcrowding and improve cooperation between our criminal justice system and drug and alcohol and mental health systems." Orie said that specialized problem solving courts are being used across the nation to save money and help offenders who have particular issues including drug addiction and menta...

A state senator says she's going to introduce a bill that would stop the Rendell administration from going ahead with a $201 million contract to develop Keystone Exams. Senator Jane Orie says she expects the senate education committee to vote on the bill early next month. It would then go to the full senate. Since the administration first proposed the new testing requirements, Orie has said that with the state facing a budget deficit of $3 billion, this is not the time to go ahead with this – or any – costly, new program. Her bill says that "any statewide requirements for high school graduation from a public school (in Pennsylvania) ... shall be established only by an act of the General Assembly." She and senators Joe Scarnati and Dominic Pileggi wrote to Rendell today saying they were "stunned" to learn about the $201 million contract and urging him to withdraw from this contract.

The recent scandals involving the misuse of state economic development grants in Beaver County has prompted Senator Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) to renew her efforts to provide stricter oversight over state grants used for job creation and retention. Orie said Senate Bill 697 would create the Economic Development Accountability Act and require that the Department of Community and Economic Development improve its monitoring procedures for state economic development grants. "The recent controversy has made it clear that we need to do more to ensure that state dollars are being used judiciously and for the purpose in which they were intended," Orie said. "These projects are funded by state tax dollars and the recipients should be held accountable for their effectiveness." Orie's legislation would require DCED to more strictly oversee grants by: Receiving annual reports starting within 12 months of receiving a subsidy. Instituting site visits for large grant and loan r...

Following up on efforts to assist Pennsylvania’s veterans and National Guard members, Senators Bob Robbins (R-50) and Senator Jane Orie (R-40) are introducing legislation to provide tax credits to employers who hire service members. Under Senator Robbins’ bill (Senate Bill 590), employers would receive a $1,000 tax credit for every member of the PA National Guard or reserves that they hire or that re-enlists. The tax credit could be used toward the employer’s personal income tax, corporate net income tax, or capital stock and franchise tax and could be carried forward for a period of three years. "Members of the National Guard and Reserves are subject to being called to active service at any time and that can a hardship for them, their families and their employers," Senator Robbins said. "This bill shows our appreciation for employers who provide jobs for our fine men and women in uniform." Senator Orie’s bill (Senate Bill 591) would provide employers with a $1,000...

"I have to believe that if there's any state agency that ranks lower than the governor or the legislature in (public trust), I'm looking at it," Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery County, said during an often-contentious hearing (Thursday) morning before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator Jane Orie (R-40) questions the operating expenses and the mission of the Gaming Control Board. For the full story, go to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . Photo provided by Senate Republican Communications

State Senator Jane C. Orie (R-40) announced the introduction of three bills aimed at assisting municipalities by promoting intergovernmental cooperation and expanding low-interest loans. Senate Bill 282 would permit municipal authorities to enter into intergovernmental cooperation agreements with other municipalities or municipal authorities. "Municipalities are currently able to enter into working relationships -- including joint purchasing, contracts, equipment, and administrative functions -- with other municipalities," said Sen. Orie. "My bill will provide municipal authorities the same opportunity to work with other local governments -- sharing resources and ultimately saving taxpayers and ratepayers money." Senate Bill 283 would increase the amounts local governments can borrow through the low-interest Local Government Capital Project loan program for equipment purchases (increased from $25,000 to $50,000) and facility upgrades (increased from $50,000 to $10...

State Senator Jane C. Orie (R-40) has introduced legislation expressly prohibiting the Department of Education from establishing any new high school graduation requirement without legislative approval. “For the past several years, the Rendell Administration has been moving toward mandating a new test -- the Graduation Competency Assessment -- that all 11th graders would have to pass prior to receiving a diploma,” said Sen. Orie. “While I believe in high academic standards and accountability, we should be monitoring these students in third through eighth grades and intervening then in order to be proactive rather than reactive -- when it is too late.” Last year, the General Assembly passed and the Governor signed into law legislation prohibiting the Department of Education from promulgating, approving, or proposing a regulation to change or establish high school graduation requirements during the 2008-09 Fiscal Year. Despite this ban, the Department has proceeded with the development...

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25), Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9), Majority Whip Jane Orie (R-40), Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman (R-34), Caucus Chairman Mike Waugh (R-28), and Caucus Secretary Bob Robbins (R-50) today announced that they would not accept the annual COLA, instead returning the money to the state Treasury. “As we have said consistently, everything is on the table in terms of spending cuts as we address the state budget deficit,” said Senator Scarnati. “Government must live within its means, and this announcement is part of our commitment to do exactly that.” Senator Pileggi said he will personally introduce a bill to officially suspend the COLA for legislators. “We congratulate the House Democratic leaders for their decision,” said Senator Pileggi. “Now, we call on them to embrace additional initiatives which will cut costs and make government operations more transparent.” In early 2007, Senate Republican leaders pushed to cut legisl...