State Rep. Brian Ellis, R-11th, announced this week he is joining a bipartisan fight to eliminate Pennsylvania's recently enacted "cell phone tax.""The cell phone tax is just another example of the faulty policies that keep Pennsylvania far behind other states," Ellis said. "To retain current residents and businesses - let alone attract new ones - we need to escape the tax-and-spend mentality."The 5 percent gross receipts tax was enacted in 2004 at the request of Gov. Ed Rendell."The tax is especially onerous because cell phone services are already subject to state and local sales tax," Ellis said.The state lawmaker has co-sponsored legislation that would eliminate the cell phone tax by 2007. The measure mirrors a similar proposal in the state Senate introduced by Sen. Rob Wonderling, R-Bucks.High school students from Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District interested in experiencing the federal government firsthand can apply to become pages, U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, announced Tuesday.English's office is accepting applications for the summer 2005 Republican Page Program.Pages assist members of Congress in their daily activities, working out of the Republican Cloakroom. Pages live in a dormitory with other pages and must attend classes.To qualify as a page, students must be 16 years old at the time they come to Washington and have at least a B grade point average in five major subjects. Pages may only serve before or after their junior year.Applicants must be sponsored by a member of the House. The first summer session will be June 13 to July 1 and the second summer session from July 11 to 29.To apply, call English's Erie District Office at 814-456-2038. Applications must be returned by March 28.

U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, has been appointed chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee's Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition, and General Legislation.Santorum, in his position, will oversee the authorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act. The committee also has oversight of the Women, Infants and Children program, and federal domestic nutrition programs.