PBA President Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

The following article was copied from the January 4, 2009 PBA E-News:

PBA President Testifies Before the House Judiciary Committee

On Dec. 29, by invitation, PBA President Clifford E. Haines testified before the House Judiciary Committee on bills and issues supported by the PBA that are now before the committee. Specifically, President Haines testified as to the bar's position in favor of the following measures:

• House Bill 1956, sponsored by Rep. Glen Grell (R-Cumberland), the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act, which updates the Uniform Arbitration Act promulgated by the Uniform Law Commission in 1955 and adopted in Pennsylvania;
  
  
• HB 967, sponsored by Rep. Mark Cohen (D-Philadelphia), which amends the Adoption Act to include several additional grounds for termination of parental rights, thereby helping to foster permanency for children and consistency with the Juvenile Act and the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act;
  
  
• Senate Bill 628, sponsored by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango), which prohibits the imposition of the death sentence in cases of mental retardation, defines mental retardation and specifies relevant procedures;
  
  
• Merit selection of appellate justices and judges in Pennsylvania, presently called for by HB 1619 and HB 1621, sponsored by Rep. Matt Smith (D-Allegheny), noting that the PBA requests, as the organization designated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as most broadly representative of the interest of lawyers in Pennsylvania, that it have identified representation on any commission that selects qualified individuals to be appellate justices and judges;
  
  
• HB 1079, sponsored by Rep. Ronald Waters (D-Philadelphia), which increases juror compensation from $9 daily for the first three days and $25 daily thereafter to $40 daily; and
  
  
• HB 1411, sponsored by Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D-York), which bans the use of live animals for targets at trap shoots or block shoots;
  

Haines also discussed the formation of a PBA commission to study the need for state constitutional revision.

Additional information on the bills, as well as other legislation and state Capitol happenings of interest to the PBA is available by e-mailing the PBA Legislative Department and by checking the PBA Legislative Boxscore.

Pictured at right is Haines with members of the House Judiciary Committee.