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Waiting periods will not reduce crime

Legislation before both the state House and state Senate would set a 72-hour waiting period before law-abiding Pennsylvanians could complete a purchase of a firearm. Similar bills have been considered — and failed to secure passage — before. We are skeptical this measure warrants the time and effort for debate and voting. Supporters have given no indication that the additional time is necessary or valuable in conducting background checks. Assurances that a waiting period is constitutional hinge on how reasonable the length of the mandated wait is — and considering the aversion ...

Addressing tuition costs should be priority

Though a well-trained, well-educated and skilled workforce is more important than ever, students seeking a higher education to prepare them for their careers are having a harder time being able to afford it. Sure, many people still believe having a college degree will translate to higher earnings, but students are increasingly challenged to decide whether the expense of that education (or the long-term debt they may incur) is worth the risk. According to WalletHub, the cost of attending a four-year public college has risen by an average of 30% over the past 20 years. And that cost ...

Bipartisan legislation should become law

While the acronym might have been a bit of a stretch, the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) for Veterans Act is still a long-overdue piece of legislation, introduced last week by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Given all this country — and particularly our region — has been through because of the substance abuse epidemic, it is a bit of a surprise no one has worked toward such a measure for those who have served. This one would expand veteran access to non-opioid alternatives by creating pathways for Food and Drug ...

Drilling in Alaska right step for affordable energy

We are reassured by the White House’s decision to finalize plans to permit more oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s North Slope. Our editorial board has frequently warned the public that the hostility to conventional sources of energy would leave our region and our nation without the affordable energy necessary for our workplaces and families. We can see evidence of that at this time in the likelihood of higher utility bills. The proposal would allow lease sales on a 1.5 million-acre tract — for context, Alaska comprises 365 million acres. “It is encouraging to see ...

Trump, Gaza and the U.N. Security Council

Maybe the United Nations isn’t as useless as it so often shows. Last week, the Security Council endorsed President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, ratifying for the first time the requirements that Hamas disarm and Gaza be demilitarized. The resolution passed 13–0, with Russia and China abstaining. It’s a setback for the terrorists. Many had worried that the U.S. jaunt to the Security Council would come at the price of bending the peace plan’s terms for Hamas or adding anti-Israel terms. Would France’s Emmanuel Macron elbow his way into the deal’s ...

Saving black-footed Ferret takes a village, and a Prairie Dog town

The black-footed ferret exhibit at American Prairie’s National Discovery Center in Lewistown, Mont., just opened to the public on Nov. 14. When I went to Montana in September to visit American Prairie, their newest ambassador had just arrived from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado, and I got to see it. Black-footed ferrets are one of North America’s most endangered mammals, so they are bred and prepared for reintroduction through a National Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program. In addition to the Colorado Center, ...