State News-Wednesday, Sept. 27th

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state Senate is advancing legislation that would allow Pennsylvania's gambling halls to buy slot machines straight from the manufacturer, instead of through middlemen distributors. And the legislation also would allow the gambling halls to avoid complying with local ordinances banning indoor smoking. The legislation was approved unanimously yesterday by a state Senate committee after months of closed-door negotiations.
Some senators expect it to get approval in the Senate tomorrow before it heads to the House.
The legislation contains about 30 provisions that would make wide-ranging changes to the state's two-year-old law that legalized up to 61-thousand slot machines at 14 as-yet unlicensed sites. Many aspects of the legislation seek to toughen the law's anti-corruption measures, such as preventing public officials from investing in a gambling interest through a blind trust.
In addition, the legislation also would take away Philadelphia's zoning authority over slot-machine casinos in the city, a change opposed by city officials.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial hopeful Lynn Swann had the best fundraising of his campaign from June into September, but he still trails Democratic Governor Ed Rendell by a great distance. Swann, a former Pittsburgh Steelers star whose campaign marks his political debut, took in three-point-seven million dollars -- more than double his contributions in any of the three previous reporting periods. He spent three-point-two million, nearly half of it on advertising. He's raised more than eight million dollars so far, but
that's less than one-third of what Rendell has raked in. During the latest reporting period, Rendell raised six-point-six million dollars and spent the same amount, mostly on campaign
ads.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The House considered nearly 40 out of 100 anti-crime proposals in a session designed to gauge which proposals merit further consideration. The House is expected to resume its work today, when it may debate bills to restrict handgun purchases. Opponents and advocates of gun control came to the Capitol today to share their views with lawmakers.
Dorothy Johnson-Speight (spite) of Philadelphia says she still feels pain over the loss of her son more than four years after he was shot to death over a parking space. She wants lawmakers to
restrict handgun purchases to one per month. But David Laden of the Pennsylvania State Fish and Game Protective Association was among activists opposing handgun restrictions. Laden says officials should concentrate on better enforcement of existing gun laws.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Trial is under way for an Allentown man charged with murder in a shooting that happened in the heart of the city two years ago. Police say 26-year-old Shalamar Carmon killed 28-year-old Jason Frichman outside Frichman's apartment in the 10-hundred block of Hamilton Street in July 2004. Frichman died a week later. The first witness testified yesterday that she was driving home from work and saw the shooting unfold. She said a man dressed in white shot another man standing just feet away. The woman identified the gunman as Carmon. In opening statements, Carmon's lawyer said the man in white was not Shalamar Carmon.

NEWPORT, Pa. (AP) - State police are continuing their investigation into a deadly crash between a school bus and a car in Perry County. It claimed the life of a Landisburg woman. Police say the crash happened just before four o'clock Tuesday afternoon on Germany Ridge Road in Spring Township. Police say the driver of the bus, 41-year-old Ricky Smiley,crossed the center of the roadway and slammed head-on into a vehicle driven by 39-year-old Susan Switaj. Switaj died at the scene. Smiley was not hurt. but two eight-year-old girls on the bus suffered minor injuries.