Newspaper: Legislative reform at the margins

Veteran Harrisburg correspondent Robert Swift looks back at how little the culture in the state capitol has changed since the infamous pay raise of 2005.

From a recent article in The Times-Tribune:

It was supposed to be a new era. Rocked by scandal and hounded by an angry electorate, the Pennsylvania Legislature had no choice but to change.

Six years after calls for reform surfaced, some marginal reforms have been made, but the core issues remain untouched.

The public uproar that led to the repeal of the controversial legislative pay raise in 2005 was the catalyst for the calls for reform, which have grown in intensity. Lawmakers of both parties were defeated in 2006 in a reaction to the pay raise, and more followed in November as part of a general anti-incumbent mood, this time targeted mainly at Democrats.

The start of a new session in January produced the usual talk in both the House and Senate about the need to rein in the size and cost of the legislative branch (one of the nation's most expensive), make it more accountable to the public and erase the stigma of recent public corruption investigations.

The first six weeks of session produced agreement by House leaders to tweak how per diems - set at $163 - are paid and new House rules to limit political activities during legislative working hours. There was also movement in the House and Senate on a measure to list all state spending online.

Read more: Legislative reform at the margins - News - The Times-Tribune