Speaker: House "committed to reform"

HARRISBURG – A special panel's recommendations to change the way the House operates is tangible proof the chamber is “committed to reform,” House Speaker Dennis O'Brien said today.

The Speaker's Commission on Legislative Reform “has exceeded my expectations,” said O'Brien, R-Philadelphia.

The panel approved wide-ranging changes aimed at making the House more open and fairer for rank-and-file members.

The commission's work is a “historic step for the House of Representatives,” said Deputy Speaker Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery County, co-chairman of the commission.

“It's pretty good stuff. I can look forward to a more open process than we've had in the past,” said Rep. Tom Tangretti, D-Greensburg, a member of the panel.

The recommendations will be considered by the full House March 12. They include proposals to limit the power of the leadership-controlled Rules Committee, repeal the practice of “ghost voting,” make members' expenses available electronically, limit House sessions to 11 p.m. to prevent all-night voting sessions, eliminate private vehicle leases and require that House votes and committee votes be posted on the General Assembly's Web site. One proposal bans smoking in legislators' offices and other portions of the House.

What didn't make it into the package when the commission concluded business late Monday: term limits for leaders and committee chairmen, a proposal to beef up the largely dormant House ethics committee, and a prohibition on lawmakers using taxpayer-financed public service announcements on TV.