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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