HARRISBURG -- Senate Republicans this week squandered another opportunity to help senior citizens, volunteer emergency personnel and consumers. Using parliamentary slight-of-hand, the Senate majority killed a Democratic amendment that would have expanded the state's PACE prescription program, established a grant program for volunteer emergency personnel and created a state anti-trust law.

The vote on a procedural question that would have allowed consideration of the proposals fell along party lines, 19-29. Democratic attempts to debate the issue were blocked when the President of the Senate switched off their microphone.

The bill itself, Senate Bill 372, lifts the nearly 30-year-old cap on the number of state troopers in Pennsylvania. Under the legislation, the Governor and the State Police Commissioner would be responsible for determining the appropriate size of the trooper contingent. The bill passed unanimously and was sent to the House of Representatives.

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· The Senate unanimously concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 977, which would provide for a $3 million annual grant program to help counties pay for visiting senior judges who temporarily fill vacancies on county courts of common pleas. The bill now goes to the Governor.

· By a 48-0 vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 1089, requiring all prison inmates convicted of felony sex offenses to submit a DNA sample for the state's sexual offender registry. Under current law, only sexual offenders convicted after the registry law was enacted in 1995 are required to submit a DNA sample. The bill now goes to the House.

· The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 986, which raises the reimbursement amounts for expenses incurred to attend annual meetings by employees or officials of Second Class Counties. The bill goes to the House.

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