While JSPAN lauds the Pennsylvania Legislature's ability to pass the first minimum wage increase in almost a decade, there is still much left to accomplish. Importantly, the new law preempts all local legislation on this subject, thereby preventing Philadelphia and other cities from enacting living wage ordinances. Also, the new legislation does not contain any automatic cost of living feature. That means that we will continue to have to face this issue, even though the salaries of legislators and judges and benefits under the social security system are pegged to inflation. What a shame that the economic health of the working poor will continue to be a political football starting 18 months from now.

Delaware also joined Pennsylvania and a dozen other states in raising its minimum wage. Starting from the current $6.15 rate, the Delaware minimum wage will rise by 50 cents on January 1, 2007 and January 1, 2008.

Despite these efforts, the federal minimum remains locked at $5.15/hr. Last month, the United States Senate rejected a proposal to raise the minimum wage to $7.25, falling eight votes short of the 60 vote threshold. It's time for the federal minimum to be adjusted, and we hope that Congress will see the light to take action.

On September 6, 2005 JSPAN President Jeffrey Pasek and Rabbi Michael Holzman appeared at hearings before the Senate Labor and Industry Committee on a proposal to raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage. The only Jewish organization testifying before the Senate committee, JSPAN urged the committee to raise the minimum wage on both economic and morals grounds. We will continue to press these arguments as part of our support for a change in the federal minimum wage.

• View a copy of Senate Bill 1090.
• Pittsburgh Post Gazette (7/1/06): House OKs minimum wage hike to $7.15/hr
• Philadelphia Inquirer (7/2/06): Wage raise moves to Rendell's desk
• Read about JSPAN's effort to raise the minimum wage.

While the Court ordered the infamous District 23 to be redrawn, the justices found in favor of the overall Texas congressional map. Sam Hirsch, a lawyer involved in both the Texas cases (League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry) and the Pennsylvania redistricting ordeal (Vieth v. Jubelirer), had made the point at "Can The Majority Take All" that congressional districts should be drawn to maximize competition and should engender community activism. The Texas map does neither.

We are very disappointed with the Supreme Court's approach to gerrymandering and expect that there will be many new efforts to realign voting districts whenever power shifts hands in the various state legislatures. For decades, Jewish groups have argued for policies that would ensure that all minority groups can be full members of the political community. Gerrymandering erodes this principle because it allows identifiable interest groups to be marginalized by being included in safe districts where their interests and votes can be discounted.

Given the Supreme Court's action, only a legislative solution appears viable to address these concerns. We expect to work with other like minded groups to continue to press for reforms that are badly needed in this area.

• View the League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry decision.
• New York Times: "Day of Joy Dawns for Republicans, Proud Owners of Texas Redistricting Map"
• Read about JSPAN's "Can the Majority Take All" program, held in March 2006
.

JSPAN supports the position of groups like CeaseFire PA that advocate laws limiting the sale of handguns to once a month. As laws in Pennsylvania currently stand, a person with a clean criminal record can purchase an unlimited number of handguns. Legislation capping the sale of handguns per month would stop the practice of these "straw buyers" selling the firearms to criminals on the street.

Enforcing the laws we have is important, but they simply do not go far enough. While the limitation of handgun purchases is only one step in fight to quell gun violence, it is an important one we should all support.

For a report on recent local gun violence prevention:
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/14975239.htm

To learn more about CeaseFire PA: http://www.ceasefirepa.org/index.htm

In a letter to Defense Secretary Rumsfeld last Friday, Cohen noted that "there is mounting evidence that military recruiters and commanders, under intense pressure to meet manpower goals with the country at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, have relaxed standards designed to prohibit racist extremists from serving in the armed forces."

According to official sources, thousands of neo-Nazis and other white supremacists are now in the military. Neo-Nazis "stretch across all branches of service, they are linking up across the branches once they're inside, and they are hard-core," Department of Defense gang detective Scott Barfield reported. "We've got Aryan Nations graffiti in Baghdad," he added. "That's a problem."

What can be done to ensure that our military continues to exemplify the values that are at the core of our democracy? Cohen recommends three steps for the Defense Department to adopt:

1. Appoint a task force or commission to determine the extent to which pressure to meet manpower goals has led military recruiters and commanders to relax their standards on neo-Nazis and other white supremacists in the military.

2. Adopt a zero-tolerance policy on racist extremist membership or activity in the military. Ambiguities with the current policies should be resolved, and the discretion given military commanders to conclude that particular types of extremist activity are not detrimental to the good order or discipline of the military should be eliminated or severely circumscribed. The Army's recent revision to its regulations concerning the distribution of extremist literature is one step in the right direction.

3. Ensure that the policy is uniformly and rigorously enforced across all branches of the military.

• To view a copy of Richard Cohen's letter:
  http://www.splcenter.org./images/dynamic/main/SPLCrumsfeld.pdf
• To read the full report from the Southern Poverty Law Center:
  http://www.splcenter.org./intel/news/item.jsp?aid=66
• To learn more about JSPAN's Policy Center on Ethic and Religious Conflict:
  http://www.jspan.org/?cat=28