Calling for civil rights in the workplace, U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, joined with prime sponsor Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn., and 10 others in pushing for action on the Congressional Accountability Enhancement Act, which would apply all of the Civil Rights Act to congressional offices.

"It's time we eliminate the double standard on civil rights in Congress. Congress should not be above the law," English said.

When Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) in 1995, it excluded itself from coverage under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination in places of public accommodation such as House members' offices or the Capitol building.

While the CAA brought Congress under 11 labor and employment laws from which it had previously been exempt, it did not include whistleblower protections or require that the disabled have equal access to all electronic information, like member's Web sites and committee hearing broadcasts.

The Congressional Accountability Enhancement Act would apply Title II of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to Congress.

State Rep. Guy Travaglio, D-11th, this week announced the Southwest Pennsylvania Ozone Action Partnership Inc. was awarded a $59,700 grant under the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Program.

The Department of Environmental Protection grant will be used to educate the public about ozone pollution and the steps that can be taken to reduce the chemical precursors that form ozone.

Ozone in the stratospheric ozone layer protects people from the sun's harmful rays. However, at ground level, where people can breathe it, ozone can be very harmful.

"Seven counties in southwest Pennsylvania, including Butler County, will benefit from this grant," Travaglio said. "This money will make county officials aware of what action must be taken to prevent and reduce air pollution in the commonwealth."

The Western Pennsylvania Fireman's Association on Tuesday honored state Sen.

Jane Orie, R-41st, for supporting volunteer firefighters and emergency services personnel.

The group presented Orie with its political award at its annual convention in Monroeville.

The association noted Orie's efforts in supporting legislation that established a grant program for volunteer fire companies, and for her sponsorships of fire and emergency services forums.

State Rep.

Daryl Metcalfe, R-12th, recently received the endorsement of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's political action committee in the Nov. 2 election.

The PAC, Farmers Allied for Responsive and More Effective Representation, cited Metcalfe's voting record on agriculture issues, in announcing its endorsement.

Metcalfe is unopposed this year.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently endorsed U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, in his bid for re-election to the House of Representatives.

"We believe that your re-election to the U.S. House will help produce sustained economic growth and promote America's competitiveness in world markets," said Thomas Donohue, the chamber's president and chief executive officer, in a letter to English announcing its endorsement.

"We will encourage the business community to vigorously support your candidacy," the letter added.

English in the Nov. 2 election is being challenged by Democrat

Steven Porter.

Six Pennsylvania regional Central Labor Councils this week announced their recommendations to the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO executive committee for endorsement of Democrat U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel for U.S. Senate.

The labor councils of Venango, Washington-Greene, Chester, McKean-Potter, Clearfield Region, and Five County urged Hoeffel's endorsement.

The Clearfield Region council serves Clearfield, Elk, Cameron and Jefferson counties, and the Five County council serves Northumberland, Union, Snyder, Columbia and Montour counties.

The state's second-largest labor council, Allegheny County-Pittsburgh, previously said it supported Hoeffel.

Together, the seven councils represent more than 187,000 AFL-CIO members in Pennsylvania.

Constitution Party national chairman

Jim Clymer qualified for the U.S. Senate ballot on Monday, putting Pennsylvania's senior senator in a squeeze play between opponents on both sides of the political spectrum.

Opponents of Clymer, a conservative attorney from Lancaster, did not challenge his petitions for a ballot spot before the Commonwealth Court's 4 p.m. deadline Monday. He will face Republican incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter and Democratic challenger Rep. Joe Hoeffel in the Nov. 2 election.

"The bottom line is, simply, that the views of the majority of Pennsylvanians are not represented by either of the major-party candidates," Clymer said. "I feel the need to fill that void. So I'm here to give the people of Pennsylvania a choice other than the two liberal candidates that are running."

Lawyers in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on Monday challenged independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader's petitions to get on Pennsylvania's Nov. 2 ballot, alleging thousands of the signatures are forged, fictitious or legally flawed in other ways.

Pittsburgh lawyer Efrem M. Grail, who challenged Nader's petitions on behalf of seven Western Pennsylvania voters, said in his filing that more than 30,000 signatures were invalid because the signers were not registered voters - more than enough to prevent Nader from competing against President Bush and Democratic nominee John Kerry for Pennsylvania's 21 electoral votes.

Gregory M. Harvey, a Philadelphia lawyer who conducted a tandem review on behalf of a Philadelphia voter, said he found "a wide-ranging and extensive pattern of false and forged entries, entries obtained through deception of signers and whole pages of outright forged signatures."

Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese dismissed the allegations as "absolute nonsense."

"They're grasping at straws," he said Monday in a telephone interview from Washington.