SPECIAL REPORT: Pennsylvania and Oregon to comply with federal rules

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9/30/2005

Talk about getting in under the wire.

As of Friday, Sept. 30, Pennsylvania and Oregon are among the last states to begin enforcing regulations required by the federal government in the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act, which means that commercial drivers will be facing some stiffer penalties for violations - even in their personal vehicles.

MCSIA went into effect Sept. 20, 2002, and states had three years to comply.

Earlier this year, lawmakers in both states realized their states risked losing as much as $40 million in federal highway funds if they did not comply with the rules by Sept. 30.

Congress passed the requirement in 1999, intended to reduce the number and severity of crashes involving large trucks and buses.

State departments ofThe Supreme Court of Gambia cannot rule on President Yahya Jammeh's challenge against his electoral defeat until May, according to its chief justice.

The ruling casts further doubt on whether a peaceful political transition will happen next week as scheduled.

The West African country has been thrust into a political crisis following a December 1 presidential vote, which saw longtime ruler Jammeh losing to opposition leader Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially conceded defeat but later reversed his position, lodging a legal case aimed at annulling the result and triggering new elections.

Barrow, a former real estate agent, is scheduled to take office on January 19.

The election challenge was supposed to be heard on Tuesday by five judges, including Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbele, but the Nigerian and Sierra Leonean judges were absent.

Fagbele told Jammeh's