Cheer

Republican state senators who are proposing measures aimed at reining in the power of lobbyists in Harrisburg are right on target and deserving of plaudits — and support — for their efforts.

A total of six bills, covering issues from gifts to who qualifies as a lobbyist in the state Capitol, are proposed.

One bill would broaden the rules governing what lobbyists have to report giving to state employees or officials. Right now they only have to start reporting once a gift reaches $250 in value, or a meal and travel reach $650. The change would expand those rules to include “anything of value.”

That would be paired various other efforts: There is a bill doubling the penalties for repeat violations; a bill that would release biannual audits of lobbyists, which are performed by the Department of State; a bill that would require anyone filing a statement of financial interest to disclose whether family members are lobbyists; a bill that would expand the definition of a lobbyist to include anyone operating in Harrisburg as the representative of a membership organization; and a bill prohibiting lobbyists from having any connection with political consulting firms.

These are actions that would expand accountability for and public visibility of lobbying operations in our state capitol. That’s a worthy cause to pursue.

Jeer

A Philadelphia police officer was shot and wounded Thursday night in what was described as an ambush execution attempt.

Officer Jesse Hartnett took three bullets in an arm when a gunman unloaded a semiautomatic pistol into his marked cruiser. He faces a long recovery.

A suspect later confessed he acted “in the name of Islam” and added, “I follow Allah. I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State.” Edward Archer told detectives he believes police enforce laws counter to Islam.

Mayor Jim Kenney could have played it safe. He could have reserved judgment until more facts were collected.

But no. Whatever the gunman’s motive, Kenney said, it had “nothing to do” with Islam.

The mayor’s comment wasn’t nearly as dumb as what District Attorney Seth Williams said.

“This shows us the need for smarter laws when it relates to guns on the street,” Williams said.

The DA would be among the first to know that the shooter used a police gun, stolen two years ago from an officer’s home.

Exactly how does a stolen police weapon relate to gun regulation — in a city already with some of the nation’s toughest gun controls?

Cheer

Thursday’s announcement that the new VA Butler Healthcare center project in Center Township is six months ahead of schedule was welcome news.

“Ahead of schedule” might be generous when talking about a project that has languished in the federal court system for years, but it’s encouraging that work on the North Duffy Road site, which will be home to the new 168,000-square-foot facility, is proceeding quickly at this point.

If the projections of developer Cambridge Healthcare Solutions hold, the facility will be complete by July of 2017, six months before the deadline in its contract with the VA.

And that, in no uncertain terms, is good news. Butler’s VA system serves more than 19,000 veterans. Those men and women deserve the best care and facilities available. Let’s hope the project’s developers can live up to the timeline they presented Thursday evening.