|
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Babette Josephs |
|
Bill to reduce size of legislature not ready for primetime
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 30 -- Last week, the House State Government Committee voted to send H.B. 153 to the full House.
The bill would reduce the state House membership from 203 to 153 at the next legislative reapportionment in 2021, provided the bill was passed in two consecutive sessions and approved on the ballot by voters – a requirement for all constitutional amendments. State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, voted against reporting out this measure.
"On its face, this proposal looks great," Josephs said. "Constituents have told me they want a smaller legislature, but when I questioned them more closely, they say what they really mean is that the General Assembly should not be so expensive. I voted no, because nothing in H.B. 153 says that legislators are going to do more with less. Under this bill, if you're a representative and your district is enlarged, your postage and car allowance, your staff complement, and your pension might all go up. Nothing in this legislation stops that. There's no savings there. I think we need a more gradual approach, so we can evaluate whether the reduction is working and whether it does indeed produce an economical body. I will introduce amendments that will curtail spending if the bill comes to the full House.
"Furthermore, this bill doesn't reduce state Senatorial districts," Josephs said. "I worry that the House, which is the chamber of the people, would be put at a disadvantage.
"During the committee's hearing on this bill, rural residents and the Farm Bureau told us they feared their voices would be weakened if farmlands were to be combined with urban centers in the newly enlarged districts. And indeed several proponents of the measure declared that this was their intention. I am concerned that our number one industry, agriculture, would suffer if what farmers' needs are not clearly heard in the House," she said.
Finally, Josephs observed that a number of states have "reformed" their governments by increasing the number of elected people based on the theory that it could be easier for outside interests to influence a small number of individuals than a larger number of politicians.
###