Federal Law

A dream had carried the boys so far from home, some 5,000 miles across the ocean to a cramped and dingy apartment in Philadelphia: a hope that ice hockey could change their lives. Ivan Pravilov could fulfill that dream, they were told. He could take them from the daily grind of post-communist Ukraine to the gleaming ice of the NHL. He'd done it before. He'd done if for Andrei Zyuzin, who went on to play for six NHL teams. He'd done it for Konstantin Kalmikov, a third-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1996.

ATLANTIC CITY - Hoping to avert a costly legal battle over whether New Jerseyans should be able to bet on sports, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. said he would introduce a bill Monday giving the state an exemption from a federal ban on sports betting. Pallone, a Democrat in the GOP-led House, said his bill would take effect immediately upon passage. How likely it is to get through Congress remains to be seen. It would represent the most direct path to approving sports betting in New Jersey.

A federal court judge yesterday ordered the state to make it easier for citizens to register to vote. The federal government sued the state for not implementing the federal "motor voter" law, which requires states to let citizens register to vote when they apply for driver's licenses, welfare and many other public services. The state opposed the law, arguing that it was unconstitutional for the federal government to order a state to implement the law. Bob Gentzel, a spokesman for Attorney General Ernie Preate, said the state also was concerned about a segment of the law that would stop the state from purging voters who hadn't voted in 2 1/2 years.

Pennsylvania yesterday drew another line in the sand in its fight with Washington over the motor-voter act when a Senate panel approved legislation that would circumvent a major provision of the federal law. By a 6-4 party-line vote, the Republican-led State Government Committee sent to the full Senate a bill that would not change state law on purging voters from registration rolls if they fail to vote in five straight elections. The federal law disallows voters to be dropped from the rolls, except when they die or move.

They met at a birthday party in 1990, were instantly smitten, and, after years of transatlantic romancing, got married in California in 2008. Today, they have four adopted children, ages 6 to 11, and a comfortable home in Harrisburg. But a sword of Damocles hangs over the couple, only one of whom is an American citizen. The other is French, and vulnerable to deportation. Under federal immigration law, married binational couples usually can fix this precarious situation with a family reunification petition, seeking a green card for the foreign-born spouse.

It was the second-biggest mistake of LaRue Y. Smith's life. Laid off from his job, Smith went to his computer, copied out a list of 7-Eleven stores in and around Philadelphia, grabbed a gun, and started sticking them up. The clerks and customers were terrified. Smith fired his revolver once, by accident, and almost shot himself in the leg. Police caught the former Marine eight weeks after his crimes had started in June 2007. Within hours, he confessed to a dozen robberies that netted him an unimpressive $2,510, plus cigarettes, chips, and soft drinks.

The Obama administration's challenge to an Arizona immigration law will not hinge on the law's popularity or wisdom; state legislatures are permitted to enact unpopular and unwise laws. And as Chief Justice John Roberts observed — and the administration's lawyer agreed — this case is not about civil rights or racial profiling, either. The challenge to Senate Bill 1070 hinges on the narrow question of whether it conflicts with federal immigration law. Since last week's arguments before the Supreme Court, supporters of the Arizona law are increasingly hopeful that the court will find it does not conflict with federal law and will uphold most if not all of it. S.B. 1070 requires state and local law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of those legally stopped if there is a "reasonable suspicion" that they are in the country illegally.

A Camden man accused of accosting U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews in January at the congressman's Haddon Heights home was indicted Tuesday on a federal charge of threatening a U.S. representative. According to the complaint, Anthony M. Bussie rang Andrews' doorbell close to 8 p.m. Jan. 11 and told the congressman he had failed to help him obtain money he said was owed to him by former President George W. Bush for work as a "war contractor. " Andrews, a Democrat representing New Jersey's First District, said he would look into the matter in the morning and asked Bussie to write down his name.

The Radnor commissioners are considering waiving lifeguard requirements for swimming pools that meet certain criteria. Codes Enforcement Officer Michael O. Fleig told the commissioners Monday night that an amendment to township law would apply to indoor swimming pools designated for adult use only and having a maximum depth of 5 feet. The only comment came from John P. Bruno, president of the Radnor Board of Health, who said the health board had questioned the basis of the proposal in the fall.

A bill that brings Pennsylvania into compliance with the federal "motor voter" mandate now awaits state Senate action after passing the House Wednesday. The Senate will have an opportunity to act on the bill when members return for a few days after the election next month. Supporters say the federal law will increase voter participation in elections. Critics argue that the law is just another "unfunded mandate," with state and local governments forced to foot the bill. The House bill would allow citizens to register to vote when they obtain or renew drivers' licenses or non-driver identification, apply for welfare, join the military, seek services for the disabled, or obtain unemployment.

The Obama administration's challenge to an Arizona immigration law will not hinge on the law's popularity or wisdom; state legislatures are permitted to enact unpopular and unwise laws. And as Chief Justice John Roberts observed — and the administration's lawyer agreed — this case is not about civil rights or racial profiling, either. The challenge to Senate Bill 1070 hinges on the narrow question of whether it conflicts with federal immigration law. Since last week's arguments before the Supreme Court, supporters of the Arizona law are increasingly hopeful that the court will find it does not conflict with federal law and will uphold most if not all of it. S.B. 1070 requires state and local law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of those legally stopped if there is a "reasonable suspicion" that they are in the country illegally.

State police and the FBI started a wiretapping probe into allegations the New Orleans Saints and general manager Mickey Loomis had his Superdome booth wired so he could listen to opposing coaches. "It's absolutely ludicrous. It's impossible," said interim coach Joe Vitt. "I've never heard of it before. That's something from Star Wars. The statute of limitations - six years under state wiretapping laws and five years under federal law - has passed. ESPN reported that the system was in use from 2002 to 2004, but dismantled after Hurricane Katrina damaged the Superdome on the eve of the 2005 season.

AUSTIN, Texas - Eight Planned Parenthood organizations sued Texas on Wednesday for excluding them from participating in a program that provides contraception and checkups to women, saying the new rule violates their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and association. The groups, none of which provide abortions, contend in the federal lawsuit that a new state law banning organizations affiliated with abortion providers from participating in the Women's Health Program has nothing to do with providing medical care and is simply intended to silence individuals or groups who support abortion rights.

A Camden man accused of accosting U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews in January at the congressman's Haddon Heights home was indicted Tuesday on a federal charge of threatening a U.S. representative. According to the complaint, Anthony M. Bussie rang Andrews' doorbell close to 8 p.m. Jan. 11 and told the congressman he had failed to help him obtain money he said was owed to him by former President George W. Bush for work as a "war contractor. " Andrews, a Democrat representing New Jersey's First District, said he would look into the matter in the morning and asked Bussie to write down his name.

New Jerseyans will face tougher requirements to obtain or renew driver's licenses starting next month. Because of changes in federal law after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the state is getting stricter about documentation it will accept to prove drivers' identity and legal residence. Nine states, including Delaware, now issue licenses that comply with the federal standards. In New Jersey, the requirements will take effect May 7, when the state starts to issue federally compliant licenses marked with a distinctive gold star in the top right corner.

WASHINGTON - Here's a thought that can't comfort President Obama: The fate of his health-care overhaul rests with five Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices. If they stand together, his most sweeping domestic achievement could be struck down. But the good news for Obama is that he probably needs only one of the five to side with him to win approval of the law's crucial centerpiece, the requirement that almost everyone in this country has insurance or pays a penalty.

When a Philadelphia City Council candidate last year was accused of wrongly claiming he served as a U.S. Army Special Forces officer, it was entirely fitting that he had to weather voters' scrutiny concerning the allegation. But what if David Oh, now a duly elected councilman, had been clapped in handcuffs over those charges? That's the dilemma posed by the Stolen Valor Act, a 2006 federal law whose constitutionality was argued Wednesday before the U.S. Supreme Court. It's a law that dangerously challenges a core democratic freedom - freedom of speech - and all in the name, ironically, of honoring the very soldiers who risk their lives in defending Americans' consitutional rights.

Calling for long prison terms for criminals who threaten or harm those who would testify against them, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams on Monday introduced legislation to make local witness intimidation a federal crime. "They've been targeting witnesses - we need a federal law to target them," Casey said of the bill that would impose mandatory prison terms of 20 and 30 years for different types of witness intimidation. "Our approach cannot be nuanced," said Williams, adding that "these criminals have to go to jail for a long time.

It was the second-biggest mistake of LaRue Y. Smith's life. Laid off from his job, Smith went to his computer, copied out a list of 7-Eleven stores in and around Philadelphia, grabbed a gun, and started sticking them up. The clerks and customers were terrified. Smith fired his revolver once, by accident, and almost shot himself in the leg. Police caught the former Marine eight weeks after his crimes had started in June 2007. Within hours, he confessed to a dozen robberies that netted him an unimpressive $2,510, plus cigarettes, chips, and soft drinks.

They met at a birthday party in 1990, were instantly smitten, and, after years of transatlantic romancing, got married in California in 2008. Today, they have four adopted children, ages 6 to 11, and a comfortable home in Harrisburg. But a sword of Damocles hangs over the couple, only one of whom is an American citizen. The other is French, and vulnerable to deportation. Under federal immigration law, married binational couples usually can fix this precarious situation with a family reunification petition, seeking a green card for the foreign-born spouse.