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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Babette Josephs |
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Josephs: Republicans should focus on what's important: jobs,
not size of legislature
HARRISBURG, May 7 – State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., is criticizing a planned meeting of the House State Government Committee to vote on yet another bill that would reduce the size of the state House.
The committee meeting is set for Wednesday, May 9 to vote on H.B. 876, which would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to reduce the size of the House.
"I'm not sure why we are wasting valuable committee time to vote on another bill to reduce the size of the legislature, when Pennsylvanians have been saying that state government should be focusing its effort on creating jobs and improving the economy," Josephs said. "This is just another Republican attempt at misdirection, with smoke and mirrors, to avoid the real fact that Republicans have not addressed the issues that Pennsylvanians want addressed.
"Voters across the state are as interested in job creation and economic development as us Democrats," she said. "Yet, Republicans, who control the legislative agenda, refuse to put the General Assembly on that path.
"Besides, the House chamber already voted on a bill to reduce the House membership, and had an opportunity to vote on a more gradual reduction effort during that debate, but they voted against each amendment that would have done that. I said then, and I'll say it again now: a reduction will make sense only if spending also can be reduced," Josephs said. "There is nothing in this bill that insists legislators do more with less. Pennsylvanians I've spoken to tell me they want the legislature to be less expensive, and this bill does not address that."
The bill would reduce the size of the House by 10 districts after each Census until the House membership drops to 153.
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