ASSOCIATED PRESS: Gov. Tom Corbett is signing his first bill as governor. The Republican plans Monday afternoon to sign a bill repealing a requirement that fire sprinkler systems be installed in all new one- and two-family homes. The legislation was approved earlier this month by margins of nearly 2-1 in the state House and Senate. Proponents of the requirement said it would save lives by extinguishing fires before firefighters can get to the scene. Opponents, led by the Pennsylvania Builders Association, said it would unnecessarily drive up housing prices already out of reach for many people. MORE
RELATED: Sometimes life-saving technologies seem beyond the reach of the average person. If you put residential fire sprinklers in that category, think again. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) economists ran the numbers. Their benefit-cost analysis found that for new home 
construction, a multipurpose network sprinkler system that connects to a house’s regular water supply and piping makes good economic sense. MORE
RELATED: At the present time, cost of a home sprinkler system is targeted at approximately $1.00 to $1.50 per square foot in new construction. MORE
RELATED: Average square footage of a single family home in Pennsylvania = 1,500
RELATED: Cost of a fire sprinkler system in a 1,500 square foot home = $1,500 to $2,250
RELATED: Cost of your family not burning to death in their sleep = Priceless
PENNSYLVANIA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO TOM CORBETT 2008-2010: $25,000
PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATED BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS TOTAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS 2003-2010: $752,130
PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATED BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEMOCRACTS 2003-2010: $13,000
PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATED BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO REPUBLICANS 2003-2010: $739,130
PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATED BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO TOM CORBETT 2010: $82,500
[SOURCE FollowTheMoney.Org]