State news-Wednesday, August 2nd

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Lobbyists and policy analysts Tuesday suggested
that dramatic cuts in the size of the General Assembly might be a
positive step in reforming state government, but they also warned
state senators that the idea is no silver bullet. They discussed the idea of
reducing the size of the Legislature at a public hearing in Pittsburgh on a
bill introduced in October 2005 by Republican state Senator John Pippy.
The bill would shrink the number of senators from 50 to 30 and the number
of House members from 203 to 121. Supporters of the bill argue that reducing
the size of the Legislature will make state government more efficient and reduce
costs by 77 (m) million dollars to 92 (m) million dollars. But some skeptics
question whether the cuts will save as much money as proponents suggest
and argue that other reforms, such as reducing lawmakers' benefits, might cause
less disruption.

UNDATED (AP) - A New Jersey state trooper charged with running a massive
gambling ring with retired hockey Philadelphia Flyers star Rick Tocchet and another
man is due in court Thursday. That's according to a lawyer representing James
Harney. Craig Mitnick won't say why Harney is to be in state Superior Court
--only that he is scheduled to appear before a judge in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
Tocchet, Harney and James Ulmer were charged in February with running a gambling
ring. Harney and Tocchet are both 40 years old. They became friendly more than a decade
ago when Harney was a bartender in Philadelphia and Tocchet was playing for the Flyers.
After they were charged, Harney was suspended from the state police and Tocchet took
an indefinite leave of absence from his job as the top assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.