State Rep.

Brian Ellis, R-11th, this week announced that he has been appointed to serve on six House standing committees for the 2011-12 legislative session.Specifically, he will serve on the appropriations, consumer affairs, ethics, judiciary, liquor control and rules committees.With Pennsylvania facing a multibillion dollar deficit for the 2011-12 fiscal year, Ellis noted, the appropriations committee will play a crucial role in ensuring state government spending reflects actual revenues without raising taxes on residents.“The upcoming budget is the most important issue facing the General Assembly,” he said. “During the past eight years, state spending and borrowing have spiraled out of control, and with the Republicans in control of the agenda in Harrisburg, I am confident we can correct the gross mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.”The consumer affairs committee has oversight with consumer issues, such as the Credit Card Information Act, landlord and tenant laws, automobile lemon laws, consumer contracts, unfair trade practices and consumer fraud.The ethics committee’s purview includes ethical standards and conduct of members, officers and employees of the House, as well as conducting investigations, meetings and hearings relating to illegal or unethical conduct of members, officers and employees.Some of the issues overseen by the judiciary committee include identity theft, firearms laws, tort reform, domestic violence, child abuse laws, state prisons, and criminal law.The liquor control committee is responsible for all legislative issues relating to the administration of alcoholic beverage licenses and the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages throughout the commonwealth.The rules committee role is to improve and expedite the business and procedures of the House and its committees.———JM Eagle, the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic pipe, this week welcomed newly elected U.S. Rep.

Mike Kelly, R-3rd, to its plant in Meadville, Crawford County.The congressman toured the state-of-the-art facility located in his northwestern Pennsylvania district, met with employees and praised JM Eagle for fostering private sector job creation.“Manufacturing jobs are critical to the growth of the 3rd District, “Kelly said, “and JM Eagle’s Meadville facility plays an important role in that growth by providing hard-working folks with quality jobs that result in high-quality products.”With 22 manufacturing plants throughout North America, the Los Angeles-headquartered JM Eagle manufactures the widest array of high-grade, high-performance polyvinyl chloride and high-density polyethylene pipe across a variety of industries and applications including utility, solvent weld, electrical conduit, natural gas, irrigation, potable water and sewage.