STATE
HARRISBURG — A new poll says Pennsylvanians favor new taxes on smokers and video poker, but oppose giving counties the power to increase sales taxes.
The Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday shows voters favor Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed dime-a-pack boost in the cigarette tax by a 2-1 margin.
And the poll found nearly as much support for Rendell's proposal to finance an expansion of tuition assistance by legalizing and taxing video poker.
But the poll found voters oppose by more than 2-to-1 Rendell's plan to authorize most counties to tack on an extra percentage point to the 6 percent state sales tax to raise money for county programs.
The telephone survey of 1,490 voters was conducted during the past week
INDIANA — The new Indiana County Jail is open for business as sheriff's deputies worked with state troopers overnight to move 76 inmates across Indiana borough in a heavily armed convoy.The county built the new 252-bed jail for $28 million because the old jail was overcrowded. The old jail built in 1973 had an official capacity of 34 inmates, though the county sometimes squeezed up to 100 inmates into it.The county has paid about $50 a day to house inmates in surrounding counties, spending $320,000 last year alone.The county has 17 inmates in jails in Armstrong, Cambria and Westmoreland counties. Officials are working to bring them to the new jail.
