The map of congressional districts imposed by Pennsylvania’s high court for the state’s 2018 elections puts Beaver County in a new 17th Congressional District with much of Allegheny County, while Lawrence County would be in a 16th Congressional District stretching to Erie. The new map also gives Democrats a boost in their mission to wrest control of the U.S. House. Republicans have vowed to immediately challenge it in federal court, perhaps as early as Tuesday. The map of Pennsylvania’s 18 congressional districts takes effect for the May 15 primary and substantially overhauls a Republican-drawn congressional map widely viewed as among the nation’s most gerrymandered.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH, 2018

TODAY – OVERCAST. RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES
EXPECTED. HIGH – 72.

TONIGHT – MORE CLOUDS OVERNIGHT. LOW – 61.

WEDNESDAY – RAIN IN THE MORNING…THEN REMAINING
CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS IN THE
AFTERNOON. MORNING HIGH OF 65 WITH
TEMPS FALLING TO NEAR 45.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE RICK SACCONE HAS ANNOUNCED LEGISLATION TO END DRIVER’S LICENSE SUSPENSIONS FOR PEOPLE CONVICTED OF A NON-VEHICLE RELATED CRIME. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWSMAN PAT SEPTAK ASKED SACCONE IN A RECENT INTERVIEW WHAT EXACTLY WOULD HOUSE BILL 42 DO…AND WHY HE IS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE?

SACCONE EXPLAINS WHAT MAKES HOUSE BILL 42 SO INTERESTING AND UNIQUE…

SACCONE HAS BEEN VERY CRITICAL OF THE 2018-19 STATE BUDGET THAT GOVERNOR WOLF HAS PROPOSED…SAYING THAT IT’S JUST MORE OF THE SAME TAX AND SPEND POLICIES OF THE PAST. SACCONE SAID THAT HE IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SEVERANCE TAX…

SOME REPUBLICAN STATE LAWMAKERS – SUCH AS JIM MARSHALL – HAVE PRAISED THE GOVERNOR’S BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT. PAT ASKED SACCONE IF HE AGREED WITH THAT ASSESSMENT…

PAT ASKED HIM IF HE’S AMONG THE GOP LAWMAKERS WHO ARE THREATENING A FEDERAL LAWSUIT OVER THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP?

PAT ASKED HIM IF HE AGREES THAT THE OLD MAPS HEAVILY FAVORED REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES…AND IF HE IS CONCERNED THAT THE NEWLY DRAWN MAPS WILL FAVOR DEMOCRATS IN THE FALL?

NEW POLL NUMBERS SHOW THAT DEMOCRAT CONNER LAMB IS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE IN NEXT MONTH’S SPECIAL ELECTION IN THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. PAT ASKED SACCONE IF HE’S SURPRISED THAT THE RACE IS NARROWING AND APPEARS TO BE CLOSER THAN WHAT POLITICAL PUNDITS WERE PREDICTING?

THAT SPECIAL ELECTION IN THE 18TH DISTRICT WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 13TH.