Dave Kessler For State Representative, District 130, Pennsylvania

Dave Kessler For State Representative, District 130, Pennsylvania kesslerforpa

Legislative Reform

The conduct of the Legislature this past session, especially in voting itself a pay raise in late night/early morning session while failing to enact property tax relief, spawned public mistrust of state government. Dave would have voted no to the pay raise. Openness, cooperation and integrity must be instilled in the legislative process in Harrisburg. This is the only way the faith of Pennsylvanians in their Legislature can be restored.

Dave favors prohibiting Legislatures from receiving gifts from lobbyists or at a minimum, changing the rules that govern operations of the House of Representatives, subjecting all House members’ accounts to the Open Records Act and Audit, and a strong lobbyist disclosure law to help achieve transparent government.

More specifically, the House should reconstitute its Ethics Committee and give it authority to review and make findings regarding a member’s conduct and impose sanctions as appropriate. Such a review and sanctions should be based on a code of conduct for all House members developed by the Ethics Committee and approved by the House.

All perks and benefits for state legislators should be reduced., and per diems should be eliminated. All members should submit to the Chief Clerk’s Office receipts for expenses incurred in connection with appearances for sessions or committee hearings or other legislative work.

No member should serve more than four terms as chair of the same House committee. No meetings of a committee should be called except by notice on the House Floor. Bills reported from a committee should be placed on the House Calendar for a vote within a specific time frame, but in no event less than three days before being voted, and no legislative business should be conducted after 12:00 midnight and before 8:00 a.m.