JOB #1:  Changing the Way We Do Business
By Senator Michael A. O'Pake

          Harrisburg, December 21, 2006 -- As the General Assembly -- along with more than 50 new members – opens a new chapter in its history with January’s convening of a new two-year session in Harrisburg, reforming the legislative process must be our first priority.  We must change the way we do the people’s business in our state Capitol.

            Shenanigans involving late night/post-midnight passage of bills that have never been subjected to public scrutiny or input, have not been thoroughly reviewed or analyzed, and, have never seen the light of day -- must cease. 

Genuine reform must occur.  And that means establishing clear parameters to make the legislative process more transparent, open and accountable to the people we represent. 

            That’s why, as a first order of business, I will be joining with my Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the newly elected Senate Republican Majority leadership to bring to a vote a series of critical reforms we previously advocated but that were left undone at the close of the last session. 

Key provisions include: 

n      requiring the posting of each legislator’s vote on the World Wide Web within 24 hours of the action, and the posting of the complete Legislative Journal within 20 days. 

n      requiring that a bill be in its final form for at least 72 hours before it can be voted upon; 

n      requiring the printing, posting on the Web; and notification of members of amendments 24 hours in advance of a vote on an amendment; 

n      requiring public hearings on any final version of a bill if 10 percent of the elected members of either the Senate or House request it; 

n      stopping last-minute “legislation swapping” by requiring a public hearing if a bill on concurrence is amended to change the scope of its original purpose; and 

n      requiring a detailed fiscal analysis on any bill that spends state or local government funds. 

            In the new session, our proposals will initially be offered as changes to the Senate’s rules of operation.  However, we will also be pushing for their enactment into law to make them a permanent part of the legislative process in both houses of the General Assembly.

            The fact is that if we are to restore the public’s confidence in their government, these reforms are a good first step in bringing to a screeching halt the kind of “sneak legislation” and/or “stealth amendments” that are an affront to the very foundation of our representative democracy. 

                                                                     ###