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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Ruth
A. Myers |
State Rep. Matt Smith |
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Smith praises reforms approved in state House
HARRISBURG, March 14 – State Rep. Matt Smith, D-Allegheny, praised reforms enacted this week in the state House of Representatives when members approved new House rules for the 2007-08 legislative session.
“The people of Pennsylvania told us that we needed to change the way we operate in Harrisburg, and the reforms approved on Tuesday will enable them to keep a closer eye on what we do and our effectiveness,” Smith said.
Smith said the reforms were the result of weeks of gathering testimony and feedback from lawmakers and the public. The Speaker’s Commission on Legislative Reform, a bipartisan panel charged with considering testimony and developing proposed rules changes, then presented its recommendations to the full House. The changes enacted include:
- All voting sessions are to take place between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., and a three-quarters majority will be required to continue working past 11 p.m.
- All House expenses, including payroll, are to be available electronically upon request.
- The Rules Committee no longer has the ability to change legislation.
- All House votes, all committee votes and all public documents associated with proceedings of the House are to be posted on the Internet.
- Private vehicle leases for House members and employees are eliminated.
- So-called “ghost voting” is prohibited.
- A 24-hour waiting period is required before bills can be voted on.
- A brief description of legislation must be read prior to debate and voting on a bill.
“Now that we’ve crossed this hurdle, I’m ready to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues in a bipartisan manner to improve the lives of all Pennsylvanians. Providing deeper property tax cuts, affordable and accessible health insurance, and helping our small businesses and our economy grow are issues that my constituents have reminded me about over the past several months, and it’s time to address these issues.”
Smith reminded constituents to visit his Web site at www.pahouse.com/MSmith to sign up for automatic updates on issues, or to e-mail him directly at mhsmith@pahouse.net. His constituent service office is located at 319 Castle Shannon Blvd. in Mt. Lebanon; the phone number is 412-571-2169.
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