Pa. State Senator Lisa Boscola (D - Lehigh/Northampton) wants to trim the state house membership from 203 to 101, and the state senate from 50 to 38. Though no Bill has been formally submitted, she has circulated this memo to seek cosponsors:
Soon, I will be introducing legislation to reduce the size of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Under this proposal, the House of Representatives would decrease from 203 members to 101 members, and the Senate would decrease from 50 members to 38 members.
Pennsylvania currently has the largest full-time state legislature in the nation. While the importance of strong constituent representation cannot be overstated, the size and cost of our legislature have become unsustainable and outdated for the needs of a modern and efficient government.
This proposal is about responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Fewer legislators will reduce the overall cost of government by lowering expenses related to salaries, benefits, staffing, and daily operational costs. It will also allow us to modernize how we serve our constituents, taking full advantage of technological tools that make it easier than ever for elected officials to stay connected to the people they represent, even within larger districts.
Beyond the fiscal and procedural benefits, this reform is a direct response to what we continue to hear from voters across the Commonwealth. Pennsylvanians have repeatedly expressed their desire for a smaller, more efficient, and more accountable legislature. This legislation offers a real opportunity to deliver on that expectation.
I urge you to join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.
She has also suggested that the state should go on a two-year budget cycle, which would certainly be helpful to county and other municipal governments.
Unfortunatley, similar efforts in the past have failed.
2 comments:
She is up for election next year. Another piece of legislation that will go nowhere, like her property tax relief bill she introduces every year. If she wants to reduce number of legislatures, maybe she can start with herself. She probably drafted that memo next to the pool at the country club. 30+ years Lisa, please go away.
Why would they vote to eliminate their own jobs? Merits or not they’d just combine two Philly districts the same way they’ll combine two districts that take up 4 counties in rural Pa. And those in rural Pa will suffer even worse services from this. But anything to get Lisa another headline that’s not about a DUI
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