Editorial: New laws show common sense
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In 2022, Pennsylvania has a number of new laws going into effect.
Some are in response to calls for change from industry. Some are in response to gaps in service. Some are just blatant necessity.
What is refreshing is the number of things that reflect cooperation from a body of lawmakers that are not always cooperative.
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority was created to help expand access to and capability of internet services in a state that is largely rural and mountainous while being anchored with significantly sized cities. It will steer the use of a $100 million pool of federal funding to bolster broadband access to underserved areas through new construction — and it had brought support from both the left and right.
A new law spells out what must happen should county district attorneys lose their law licenses. The rules previously were silent on the issue, but now a suspended license will prompt an assistant to step up temporarily. A disbarred district attorney will mean the position is vacated and necessitate the same kind of replacement that would occur in a death or resignation.
There are laws that create a well-defined framework and penalties for helping a minor or intellectually disabled person commit suicide. There are laws that will keep kids safer from child pornography, especially if under 10 or known to their abuser. There are laws to better protect seniors from financial crimes.
There even are laws that will acknowledge once and for all that a front-yard lemonade stand operated by second-graders shouldn’t have the same licensure requirements as a restaurant or convenience store.
These all go back to something even better than Democrats and Republicans putting their differences aside to work together when it matters.
They apply common sense to government, and can’t we all agree that government can use a little more of that?