Commentary
Memo to Senate State Government Committee Members
MEMORANDUM
TO: Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee Members (Senators Piccola, Folmer, A. Williams, Scarnati, Brubaker, Corman, Punt, McIhinney, Fontana, Hughes, and Tartaglione)
FROM: Commonwealth Foundation, Democracy Rising PA, Rock the Capital, Young Conservatives of PA, PA Clean Sweep, PA Council of Churches, PA Accountability Project, Taxpayers and Ratepayers United, and Citizens for Legislator Accountability
CC: PA Daily Newspapers, PA Talk Radio Show Hosts, GrassrootsPA.com, PoliticsPA.com, Capitolwire.com
DATE: May 4, 2007
RE: May 8th State Government Committee Meeting
On May 8, the Senate State Government Committee, on which you sit, will be voting on five major pieces of legislative reform. While we, the undersigned, are not advocating for a “yes” or “no” vote on the following bills, we do believe that the “reform movement” in the Senate hinges on your actions next Tuesday.
The five bills you will consider are:
- SB 137 (Initiative and referendum)
- SB 346 (Redistricting reform)
- SB 814 (Term limits)
- SB 468 (Prohibiting lame duck sessions)
- SB 248 (Reduce the size of the legislature)
We hope that the full Senate will have the opportunity to debate, amend if necessary, and decide the substantive reforms these bills represent as you work to make state government more open, transparent, and accountable to the people of Pennsylvania.
Signed:
Matthew J. Brouillette, Commonwealth Foundation
Tim Potts, Democracy Rising PA
Eric Epstein, Rock the Capital
Chris Lilik, Young Conservatives of PA
Russ Diamond, PA Clean Sweep
Rev. Sandra L. Strauss, PA Council of Churches
Dennis Baylor, PA Accountability Project
Gene Stilp, Taxpayers and Ratepayers United
Hon. Allan Egolf, Former PA House Member
Dick Schirato, Citizens for Legislator Accountability
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