A JUDGE HAS RULED THAT PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS WON'T HAVE TO SHOW PHOTO IDENTIFICATION TO CAST BALLOTS ON ELECTION DAY, A MOVE THAT COULD HELP PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IN A PRESIDENTIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE. TUESDAY'S RULING COMES JUST FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION. AN APPEAL IS POSSIBLE. THE 6-MONTH-OLD LAW REQUIRES EACH VOTER TO SHOW A VALID PHOTO ID. DEMOCRATS AND GROUPS INCLUDING THE AARP AND NAACP MOUNTED A FURIOUS OPPOSITION TO A LAW REPUBLICANS SAY IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT ELECTION FRAUD. CRITICS HAVE ACCUSED REPUBLICANS OF USING OLD-FASHIONED JIM CROW TACTICS TO STEAL THE WHITE HOUSE AND HAVE HIGHLIGHTED STORIES OF REGISTERED VOTERS STRUGGLING TO GET A STATE PHOTO ID. A TOP REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER HAD BOASTED THE LAW WOULD ALLOW GOP NOMINEE MITT ROMNEY TO BEAT DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT OBAMA IN PENNSYLVANIA.
AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THERE'S PLENTY OF REACTION TO JUDGE ROBERT SIMPSON'S DECISION TO VOID PENNSYLVANIA'S VOTER ID LAW FOR NEXT MONTH'S ELECTION. DEMOCRATS, LIKE STATE PARTY CHAIRMAN JIM BURN, ARE DELIGHTED WITH THE RULING. BURN CALLS IT A SIGNIFICANT VICTORY. THE S.E.I.U. SAYS IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR DEMOCRACY AND THE N.A.A.C.P. SAYS PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS ARE THE WINNERS. STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN ROB GLEASON SAYS PREVENTING THE LAW FROM TAKING EFFECT FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION POSTPONES PROTECTING THE SANCTITY OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH CALLS SIMPSON'S RULING AN AFFRONT TO REASON AND AN EXAMPLE OF LIBERAL JUDICIAL ACTIVISM AT ITS WORST.
IF YOU'RE HOPING THE STATE APPEALS THE TUESDAY RULING THAT NIXES THE STATE'S VOTER ID LAW FOR NEXT MONTH'S ELECTION, YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO HOLD YOUR BREATH. "THE PROBLEM WITH ALL THAT IS THE CONFUSION IT WOULD CAUSE. ARE YOU REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ID? IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ID DO YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET IT BEFORE YOU VOTE? THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE VERY CONFUSING TO VOTERS BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING APPEALS PROCESS. WE HAVE NOT MADE UP OUR MIND YET ABOUT APPEALING, BUT I WILL TELL YOU IT IS NOT LIKELY," SAYS DEPUTY SECRETARY OF ELECTIONS SHANNON ROYER. HE ADMITS TO BEING SURPRISED BY JUDGE ROBERT SIMPSON'S RULING THAT MEANS VOTERS WON'T NEED TO SHOW ID UNTIL 2013 ELECTIONS.
GOV. TOM CORBETT SAYS NO FINAL DECISION HAD BEEN MADE ON WHETHER TO APPEAL. CORBETT SAYS HE BELIEVES IT'S POSSIBLE FOR EVERY REGISTERED VOTER WHO NEEDS A VOTER ID TO GET ONE, AND THAT HIS ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE ID IS AVAILABLE TO VOTERS IN ALL FUTURE ELECTIONS.
A FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT WHO SAYS HE SAW FORMER ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH JERRY SANDUSKY SHOWERING WITH A BOY IN 2001 AND TESTIFIED AGAINST HIM HAS SUED THE UNIVERSITY FOR WHAT HE SAYS IS DEFAMATION AND MISREPRESENTATION. MIKE MCQUEARY'S WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT WAS FILED TUESDAY. IT SEEKS $4 MILLION IN DAMAGES. IT CLAIMS HIS TREATMENT BY THE UNIVERSITY SINCE SANDUSKY WAS ARRESTED ON CHILD MOLESTATION CHARGES IN NOVEMBER HAS CAUSED HIM DISTRESS AND EMBARRASSMENT. A PENN STATE-COMMISSIONED REPORT CONCLUDED UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS CONCEALED SANDUSKY ALLEGATIONS DUE TO FEARS OF BAD PUBLICITY. MCQUEARY WAS PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE IN NOVEMBER. HIS CONTRACT EXPIRED IN JUNE. SANDUSKY WAS CONVICTED OF MOLESTING BOYS BUT MAINTAINS HIS INNOCENCE.
THE $224 MILLION BOND SALE THAT WILL BUILD ALLENTOWN'S NEW DOWNTOWN ARENA, HOTEL AND OFFICE BUILDING OFFICIALLY CLOSED TUESDAY, EVENTHOUGH ALL THE BONDS WERE ACTUALLY SOLD IN LESS THAN FOUR HOURS SEPTEMBER 25. NOW THAT THE FUNDING IS IN PLACE, CONSTRUCTION CAN BEGIN IN EARNEST ON THE PROJECT, WHICH IS SLATED TO BE WRAPPED UP BY THE FALL OF 2014. LOOK FOR WORK TO KICK INTO HIGH GEAR AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK.
MUHLENBERG COLLEGE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR CHRIS BORICK SAYS FOR MANY VOTERS, WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE AND THE TWO TO FOLLOW WILL BE STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE. "THE PRESIDENCY, IN PARICULAR, IS AN OFFICE THAT WE HAVE A VERY CLEAR IMAGE OF HOW WE WANT OUR INDIVIDUALS TO CONFORM TO. SO WE DO FOCUS A LOT ON STYLE. WE FOCUS ON THEIR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, HOW THEIR POSTURE IS SET, HOW THEY LOOK, DO THEY LOOK UNEASY. THOSE TYPE OF CHARACTERISTICS MATTER," BORICK SAYS. WHILE BORICK SAYS THE THREE DEBATES ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND MITT ROMNEY, SELDOM HAVE DEBATES CLEARLY IMPACTED ELECTIONS. YOU CAN HEAR WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S DEBATE BEGINNING AT 8:30 ON WAEB.
IF IT SEEMS LIKE WE GOT A LOT OF RAIN ON TUESDAY IT'S BECAUSE WE DID. THE 1.86 INCHES OF RAIN BREAKS THE OCTOBER 2 RECORD. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1929 WHEN 1.07 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THE RAIN CAUSED SOME STREET FLOODING AND FORCED SOME ROADS TO BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED.
POLICE SAY THE TWO MEN WHO COMMITTED A PAIR OF ROBBERIES IN EASTON SATURDAY NIGHT ARE THE SAME MEN WHO ROBBED A WOMAN IN WILSON BOROUGH THAT SAME NIGHT. ONE OF THE ROBBERS IS DESCRIBED AS A TALL, THIN BLACK MAN WITH NO FACIAL HAIR. THE SECOND IS DESCRIBED AS A SHORT, HEAVY BLACK MAN. POLICE BELIEVE THEY ARE DRIVING A SILVER VOLVO S-80. THE WILSON ROBBERY HAPPENED JUST BEFORE 9 O'CLOCK SATURDAY NIGHT AND THE TWO EASTON ROBBERIES HAPPENED A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR LATER.
TERRANCE WILLIAMS IS ON PENNSYLVANIA'S DEATH ROW FOR ONE OF TWO MURDERS HE COMMITTED WHEN HIS LIFE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL ALMOST 30 YEARS AGO, BUT HIS EXECUTION WOULD BE STRICTLY SUPERVISED BY THE STATE. A PHILADELPHIA JUDGE HAS HALTED THE EXECUTION, BUT PROSECUTORS ARE PRESSING THE STATE SUPREME COURT TO PUT IT BACK ON TRACK SO WILLIAMS CAN BE EXECUTED AS SCHEDULED WEDNESDAY. IF HE IS PUT TO DEATH, STATE OFFICIALS SAY WILLIAMS WOULD SPEND THE HOURS LEADING UP TO THE 7 P.M. EXECUTION IN A CONVERTED FIELD HOSPITAL NEXT TO ROCKVIEW STATE PRISON IN BELLEFONTE. ULTIMATELY, HE WOULD BE HANDCUFFED, ESCORTED TO THE EXECUTION AND STRAPPED FACE-UP ON A GURNEY. A SPECIAL LETHAL INJECTION TEAM WOULD ADMINISTER A DEADLY "COCKTAIL" OF DRUGS TO END HIS LIFE.
JURORS WHO CONVICTED A DEER POACHER OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA GAME WARDEN MUST NOW DECIDE WHETHER TO SENTENCE HIM TO DEATH OR TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE. THE ADAMS COUNTY JURY DELIBERATED FOR LESS THAN AN HOUR TUESDAY BEFORE CONVICTING 29-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON OF FAIRFIELD IN THE NOVEMBER 2010 DEATH OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION OFFICER DAVID GROVE. INVESTIGATORS SAY JOHNSON AND A FRIEND HAD POACHED A DEER AT NIGHT WHEN GROVE PULLED THEM OVER ON A RURAL ROAD NEAR GETTYSBURG. INVESTIGATORS SAY A SHOOTOUT BEGAN AFTER JOHNSON, A CONVICTED FELON, VOWED NEVER TO RETURN TO PRISON. DEFENSE ATTORNEYS WERE SEEKING A LESSER CONVICTION, ARGUING THAT JOHNSON WAS TOO DRUNK TO FORM THE INTENT TO KILL. JURORS HEAR MORE TESTIMONY TODAY.
NEW JERSEY EDUCATION OFFICIALS NOW HAVE A HANDLE ON JUST HOW MUCH BULLYING HAPPENS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DATA MADE PUBLIC TUESDAY SHOW THERE WERE MORE THAN 12,000 INSTANCES OF HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION AND BULLYING REPORTED IN THE 2011-12 SCHOOL YEAR. THAT'S THE FIRST YEAR THE STATE'S TOUGH NEW ANTI-BULLYING LAW WAS IN EFFECT. NEW JERSEY USED A NEW DEFINITION OF THE BEHAVIORS, SO THERE ARE NO PREVIOUS DATA FOR COMPARISON. THE STATE ALSO SAYS THAT THERE WERE FEWER ASSAULTS, FIGHTS, CRIMINAL THREATS, ROBBERY, EXTORTION AND VANDALISM LAST YEAR, COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR. NEW JERSEY'S CHANGES WERE SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE IN 2011. THEY GOT EXTRA ATTENTION AFTER RUTGERS UNIVERSITY STUDENT TYLER CLEMENTI COMMITTED SUICIDE. HIS ROOMMATE USED A WEBCAM TO WATCH HIM KISSING ANOTHER MAN IN THEIR DORM ROOM.
