PA Bill Number: HB2235
Title: Providing for regulation of the meat packing and food processing industry by creating facility health and safety committees in the workplace; ...
Description: Providing for regulation of the meat packing and food processing industry by creating facility health and safety committees in the workplace; ... ...
Last Action: Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Last Action Date: Apr 25, 2024
Pennsylvania House votes to cut own ranks, trim Senate :: 05/06/2015
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania state representatives took a step Tuesday toward trimming dozens of members from the Legislature, the latest move in a campaign to amend the state constitution that for several years has frustrated its supporters.
The House voted 139-56 to cut their own ranks from 203 to 151, and voted 146-49 on a companion measure to reduce the Senate from 50 to 37.
To become law, the proposal has to pass the Senate by the end of 2016 and get through both chambers again by December 2018. After that, voters would get the final say in a statewide referendum. The governor has no formal role.
Supporters said there is considerable public support for a smaller General Assembly and argued the change could make legislative business more manageable.
“It’s not a lot of money in terms of the big scheme, but $15 million, where I come from, is a lot of money,” said the prime sponsor of the House measure, Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-Schuyl-kill. “Reducing the size will also make for a more efficient Legislature in building consensus. It will also make for better discussion and clearer debate. This has nothing to do with control.”
If enacted, the change would add about 22,000 people to a typical state House district, now at about 62,000. Opponents argued that will make it more difficult for lawmakers to respond to individual constituents, particularly in more sparsely populated, rural areas.
“In my mind, it will empower the special interests and lobbyists,” said Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon. “They’ll be getting a 25 percent discount on access to this body.”
The House has considered similar bills for the past two sessions, and so far nothing has made it out of both the House and the Senate.
Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware, said the change would not save much money in the context of the state’s 80,000-person workforce.
