One of Rep. Tim Murphy’s first initiatives as a new House subcommittee chairman is an examination of mental health issues raised by the slaughter of 20 first-graders and six adults in Newtown, Conn. 

Mr. Murphy announced the initiative today, one month after gunman Adam Lanza opened fire inside Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Mr. Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, is chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The subcommittee expects to hear from leading experts on mental health.

“We will seek out any and all expert perspectives to gain a better understanding and learn how we can do better,” said Mr. Murphy, who worked as a child psychologist before his election to Congress.

“For too long, mental illness has been a topic saved for the shadows, often going unmentioned,” he said. “Newtown serves to inspire thoughtful examination on mental health policies.”

Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., said the Newtown shooting pushed mental health to the forefront and provides an opportunity for construction discussion on a topic that has often been ignored.

“While we do not know what caused the tragic events in Newtown to unfolded, it has generated a national debate on guns, violence, cultural factors and mental illness,” he said. “We must seek to gain a better understanding of societal factors, potential causes, and their overall impact upon outbreaks of violence.”

Michael Lamb will make it official on Wednesday.
The city controller will announce his candidacy for the Democratic nomination mayor in a morning event at Cannon Coffee, in Brookline, a venue chosen to reflect the Mt. Washington resident's South Hills roots.   Afterwards, he'll drop by Strong's Cleaners, in Homewood, a stop, in a heavily African-American neighborhood, that will highlight a crucial constituency that could be decisive in a race between three white city office holders.
Councilman Bill Peduto announced his bid to challenge Mayor Luke Ravenstahl earlier this month.  Mr. Ravenstahl has yet to make a formal announcement but has said repeatedly that he plans to run for re-election.
Mr. Lamb's entry into the race raises the prospect of splitting the potential opposition to the incumbent, but the controller has said that a three-way is winnable for one of the challengers.  Mr. Lamb won election as controller in 2007.  Prior to that, he was the Allegheny County prothonotary before that office was abolished in a consolidation of the county's row offices that he supported.
Mr. Lamb, a Penn State graduate, earned a law degree at Duquesne University and a masters in public policy at Carnegie-Mellon University.  He is the son of former state Sen. Thomas Lamb.

Now that Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has proposed a 30 percent cut in the city's property tax rate -- in the wake of a 48% increase* in taxable values citywide -- here's a reminder on how to calculate tax bills using millage rates.

Every mill equals $1 in tax for every $1,000 in property value. Basically you take the decimal point on the millage rate and move it three spots over to the left, and multiply that number against your home value. The city's proposed new rate is 7.56 mills so your multiplier is going to be .00756.

Let's say your house is valued here at the Allegheny County assessment site at $222,000. Multiplied by .00756 the city taxes will be $1,678.32. (Homeowners may be able to take $15K off their value before multiplying the rate in the new "homestead exemption" break the mayor proposed. The current exemption is $10K. Low-income senior homeowners get an additional break.)

The current property tax rate is 10.8 mills. For argument's sake let's say pre-reassessment your home was valued 48% less at $150,000. The taxes would have been pretty close to the same at $1,620. This is why the mayor said his new rate is "revenue neutral," and why you could be seeing a cut in your tax bill if your home value was increased less than 48%.

Don't forget: if you're a homeowner in Pittsburgh (or anywhere else for that matter) you also have the privilege of paying county and school district property taxes too. The new Allegheny County millage rate is 4.73 mills and the city schools are looking at a rate of 9.33 to 9.48 mills.

You may not pay these directly. Some homeowners have the property tax bills sent home, but others have them issued to their mortgage holder and wrapped into those payments.

* Note: Officially city values went rose 48% from $13.6 to $20.2 billion. The mayor's office says when "existing tax reductions" are taken into account (perhaps appeals?) the new total taxable value is $16.9 billion, or an increase of 24%.

Via PoliticsPA, Pa Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Castille will run for retention this year, which is significant because he will turn 70 next year and be forced to step down. Should fellow Justice Joan Orie Melvin be convicted on corruption charges that could give Gov. Tom Corbett the chance to appoint two justices to the high court (pending a 2/3 Senate confirmation). Both Castille and Melvin are Republicans.

One day before he gets sworn-in as Auditor General, Eugene Depasquale is squashing any talk he could run for the Democratic nod for governor in 2014. From his office:

Harrisburg – During my campaign for auditor general, I pledged to be an independent fiscal watch-dog who wouldn't allow politics to overshadow or compromise the integrity of the important work that will be required of my office over the next few years.

That is why prior to taking the oath of office tomorrow I am declaring that I will not be a candidate for governor in 2014.

The people of Pennsylvania elected me to be a tough, fair and independent watchdog. That's what I intend to do from day one.