Promises of legislative reform

While Gov. Ed Rendell is busy planning his inaugural ball and John Perzel is barricaded in the Capitol waiting for the SWAT team to smoke him out of the building, some Pennsylvania politicians are actually promising to reform the way they do the people's business.

Just got a press release from state Sen. Rob Wonderling, who represents the sprawling 24th Senate District in Montgomery County and the Lehigh Valley.

Wonderling, a freshman Republican who easily won re-election on Nov. 7, says in the release that he will vote for new rules designed to make the legislative process more open to the public when the Senate returns to session next week.

Wonderling said the Senate expects to consider seven reform proposals compiled by Republican and Democratic leaders when the 2007-08 legislative session begins Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Under the new rules:

1) Session times will be limited to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.

2) Amendments will be posted to the Internet before being offered on the Senate floor.

3) The Senate will wait at least six hours before voting on an amended bill or a conference committee report.

4) All roll call votes will be posted on the Internet as soon as possible after a vote, but always within 24 hours of a vote.

5) Committee votes on bills will be posted on the Internet within 48 hours of the vote.

6) The Senate’s Legislative Journal – which includes the full text of all floor debates – will be posted on the Internet upon Senate approval of the Journal or within 45 days, whichever is earlier.

7) An updated fiscal note will be prepared if a bill is amended after consideration by the Senate Appropriations Committee, if the amendment has a fiscal impact.

“Openness and accountability are the hallmarks of good government, and these measures will improve public access to information about the bills we vote on in the Senate,” Wonderling said. “We have an obligation to the people we represent to make this information more readily available in a timely manner, and these reforms are critical as we continue our efforts to build the public’s trust.”

That's the kind of talk we like hearing from our elected representatives. In the past, it's been just talk. But with the ouster of 55 members of the political aristocracy in 2006 though the ballot box or force retirements and the Republican loss of the state House, maybe ... just maybe ... the message is beginning to sink in.

Wonderling is one of the good guys in Harrisburg. He's served his constituents well during the past four years and he is a rising star in the state Senate. Same goes for John Rafferty, the state senator from the 44th District, which covers parts of Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties. Rafferty has also been outspoken on the need to clean up the way things are done in Harrisburg.

Unfortunately, you have a lot of political dinosaurs still left in Harrisburg whose only goal is get as much for themselves as they can. For many of these obstructionists to reform, 2008 is right around the corner when voters can get rid of 25 state Senators (and all 203 members of the House).

Over in the House, new Majority Leader Keith McCall, a Democrat from Carbon County, said there will be no reforms proposed for a vote when the House reconvenes on Jan. 2. Instead, House members will be asked to adopt the same rules now in place for a temporary period while they work out reforms to be adopted later.

Tim Potts of DemocracyRisingPa raised some interesting questions about the House leadership's reluctance to jump on the reform bandwagon.

In the group's latest newsletter, Potts ask the following:

1. Why does the House need more time think about adopting reforms that were proposed more than six months ago? What have Speaker John Perzel, R-Phila., and Minority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene, been waiting for?

2. Does anyone in the Senate believe that six hours is enough time for ordinary citizens to know what’s proposed and advise their Senators of their views?

3. Why do none of the Senate and House leaders propose to:
· Make per diems reimbursements for documented expenses instead of a second salary at taxpayer expense?
· Make health care benefits, such as free health insurance while in office and free life-time health care for members and their families who serve 10 years or more, consistent with the health care benefits of ordinary working people?
· Curtail car allowances in the House, which can require taxpayers to pay up to $650 a month plus insurance?
· Prohibit catered meals while the House and Senate are in session?
· Require all expenses to be posted, by member, on the Internet?
· Require an annual audit of all House and Senate accounts using the highest standards of the accounting profession?
· Connect the dots between legislation, lobbying and campaign contributions?

4. Why should any member of the House vote for a Speaker who has stifled meaningful improvements demanded by the citizens for more than a year and a half since the pay raise?

All good questions waiting for answers from the new Democraty leadership.

The Democrats have gotten a free ride in Harrisburg while Republican voters were ousting leaders and tossing out career politicians. With the exception of Mike Veon, all the Democratic leaders who orchestrated the payjacking were returned to office. It's time for Democrats to start demanding that their side of the aisle join the reform movement.

(By the way, DemocracyRisingPA, a non-profit, non-partisan citizens group, is asking for financial help to continue looking out for Pennsylvania residents. If you'd like to donate to the organization, you can send your check to P.O. Box 618, Carlisle, PA 17013.)