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Senate Republicans kicked off the 2009-10
legislative session by unveiling a
package of reform bills designed to continue changing the culture of state
government by increasing accountability and transparency.
Senate leadership also introduced a set of
Rules of Ethical Conduct for the Senate to formalize a clear set of rules
regarding what activity is permissible and what is not.
The measures are in line with the Senate
Republican effort to rewrite Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, to strengthen the
Sunshine Law, and to improve the operation of state government.
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View Lobbyist Expenditures
2009-2010
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Proposed
Senate Rules of Ethical Conduct |
The proposed bipartisan Senate Rules of Ethical Conduct were
introduced in 2010 by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25) and
Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9) as
Senate Resolution 228. The rules were the subject of a Senate Rules Committee public hearing.
The Senate Rules of Ethical Conduct include:
No Senate employee may conduct any campaign activity on Senate work time.
No campaign activity may be conducted in a Senate office or with Senate resources.
The solicitation or receipt of campaign contributions on Senate work time or with Senate resources is prohibited.
No Senate employee may serve as an officer on a campaign
committee or a campaign finance committee on behalf of any Senator or Senate candidate.
No Senate employee may be required to perform campaign
activities or to make campaign contributions.
No Senate employee may be required to perform any non-work-related task.
Senate mailing lists and email lists may only be used for
legislative purposes, and cannot be sold or given to any other entity, including campaigns.
Senate employees who are responsible for taking or
recommending official actions are required to file Financial Interest Statements with the Secretary of the Senate.
No Senate-funded newsletter may be sent within 60 days of an election.
Annual training shall be provided to all senators and all
Senate employees related to the Senate Rules of Ethical Conduct, the Ethics
Act, and the Lobbyist Disclosure Act.
Any alleged violations of the Senate Rules of
Ethical Conduct would first be investigated by the Secretary of the Senate. If a
more detailed investigation is warranted and the subject of the report is a
senator, the matter will be referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics and
Official Conduct. If the subject of the report is an employee, an independent
party will conduct the investigation.
Sanctions for violations by an employee can
range from a warning to termination of employment, depending on the
circumstances. Sanctions for violations by a senator can range from a warning to
requiring restitution and any other sanction provided for under the Pennsylvania
Constitution.
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Senate
Republican Reform Package |
Senate Republicans unveiled a package of government reforms designed to continue changing the culture of state government
by increasing accountability and transparency.
Nine of the 10 bills in this package passed the Senate last session with strong bipartisan support, but did not receive
final legislative approval.
Senate Bill 101 – Increasing penalties for violating the "Sunshine Law" governing open, public meetings.
Senate Bill 105– Creating a public, searchable, online database of state expenses.
Senate Bill 103– Prohibiting salary bonuses for Commonwealth employees.
Senate Bill 104 – Increasing accountability related to the use of state-owned vehicles.
Senate Bill 106 – Eliminating "Lame Duck" legislative sessions, which allow
legislators leaving office to cast votes.
Senate Bill 107– Posting government salary information online.
Senate Bill 108 – Reforming the process for filling Lieutenant Governor vacancies.
Senate Bill 109 – Requiring disclosure of all taxpayer-funded advertising.
Senate Bill 102 – Improving the way professional service contracts are adopted by state agencies by requiring an open "most qualified bidder" process.
Senate Bill 110
– Improving access to, and expanding information contained in, state plane logs.
These measures are part of an ongoing effort to restore confidence in state government by making it
more open and accountable to its citizens.
In the previous legislative session, the Senate implemented new rules to make the legislative process more open, such as
preventing late-night votes, posting votes on the Internet, and making it easier for citizens to track lobbyist activity.
Additionally, Pennsylvania enacted the first expansion of its Open Records Law in 50 years.
2007-2008
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Senate Votes,
Debates, Session Video and Lobbyist Reports Are Now Available Online |
Senate votes, debates, consolidated statues and
live video of floor activity can be accessed online, part of the ongoing
commitment to make state government more open and accountable to citizens.
The general public can read bills and amendments, review text of
floor debates, and see how senators voted. Information is available for votes in
committee and the full Senate.
Citizens
can also track who is lobbying, who individual lobbyists are representing, and
how they are spending their money. They can also see the number of clients each
lobbyist has and what each one is spending per client.
Links to all of this useful
information can be found at the
Citizen Access Page.
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Reforming State Government: A More Open Legislature |
One of the state Senate’s first official acts of
the 2007-08 legislative session was to adopt seven
reform proposals designed to make the legislative process more open
and accessible to the public.
The rules changes were developed with bipartisan
input and are a good first step in the push for greater transparency in
the Senate.
All roll call votes are posted on the Internet no later than 24 hours after a vote and
committee votes on bills are posted within 48 hours of the vote. This allows citizens to read the
bills that are being voted on, and see how senators are voting.
To give the public insight on why certain votes were case,
the Senate’s Legislative Journal – which includes the full
text of all floor debates – are posted on the Internet upon
Senate approval of the Journal or within 45 days, whichever is earlier.
To prevent late-night votes, session is now
limited to the hours between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.
The Senate is now required to wait at least six hours
before voting on an amended bill or a conference committee report, and
amendments are posted to the Internet before being offered
on the Senate floor. This allows legislators and the public time to
understand changes in a bill before it comes up for vote.
An updated fiscal note is now prepared if a
bill is amended after consideration by the Senate Appropriations
Committee and if the amendment is expected to have a financial impact.
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Citizens Can Now See Who is Lobbying |
The Senate
passed landmark legislation requiring lobbyists to file regular
reports detailing who is lobbying the Legislature and the Governor’s
Office and on which issues they are supporting.
Act 134 of 2006
(House Bill 700), as amended by the Senate, states that every
lobbyist, lobbying firm and the groups that hired them are required
to register and disclose their spending each quarter. The reports
must include a list of funds spent on communication, gifts,
hospitality, transportation and lodging. These reports must then be
filed with the
Department of State, which will provide a directory to the
public of all registered lobbyists by May 1 of each odd-numbered
year. Random audits will be conducted on the registrations every two
years.
Lobbyists who violate the law will be subject to civil fines of up
to $2,000 and the possibility of being prohibited from paid lobbying
for up to five years. Groups that retain lobbyists and intentionally
violate the law could receive a fine of up to $25,000.
Citizens are now able see online who is
lobbying, who individual lobbyists are representing, and how
they are spending their money. They will be able to also see the number
of clients each lobbyist has and what each one is spending per
client. The lobbyist disclosure reports can be found under “Topics of
Special Interest” at
www.pasen.gov.
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Brubaker Introduces Legislation to Establish Two-Year Budget Cycle
Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-36) introduced legislation today that would establish a
two-year budget cycle in Pennsylvania to promote greater efficiency and
productivity in state government.

Rafferty Calls for Reform of PA Beer Sales Laws
At a rally at the State Capitol, Senator John Rafferty (R-44) joined
consumers, grocery and convenience store owners and others who say it is time
for Pennsylvania to join 46 other states in reforming its beer sales laws.
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Fact Sheet (PDF)
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Rally
Senate Republicans: No Lame Duck Session in 2010
Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25) and Senate Majority Leader
Dominic Pileggi (R-9) announced that the Senate will not convene for a regular
lame duck session in 2010.
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Senator Corman
2/3/10 - Senator Pileggi: Experts Testify on Proposed Senate Rules of Ethical
Conduct
Five experts
testified on a proposal to implement Rules of Ethical Conduct for
the state Senate, according to Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9),
chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, which held the public hearing.

- 2:02
Sen. Orie Continues Efforts on Government and
Gaming Reform
Continuing her push to close loopholes in the state's
gaming law and ensure accountability and transparency in the gaming industry and
state government, Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) is proposing legislation to
extend financial ownership and employment restrictions under the gaming law to
include court personnel and to strengthen ethics reporting requirements. Also
offered in the proposal will be language to include that the Judicial branch is
covered by the reporting requirements of the state Ethics Act.
Senate Hearing Explores Potential Welfare Fraud
and Abuse
The Senate Majority Policy Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Erickson (R-26), and
the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, chaired by Sen. Pat Vance
(R-31), held a joint public hearing on potential fraud and abuse in state
welfare programs.
 - (running time 1 hour 19 minutes)
Committee Holds Public Hearing on Procurement Procedures
Senator Mike Folmer (R-48), Chair of the Senate Communications and Technology
Committee, conducted a public hearing on Auditor General Jack Wagner's
recent report on state procurement procedures. Auditor General Wagner and
Department of General Services Secretary James Creedon both offered testimony.

- Part 1 - (running time 2 hours 33 minutes)
- Part 2 - (running time 45 minutes)
Senate Leaders Introduce Rules of Ethical Conduct
Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25), Senate Majority Leader Dominic
Pileggi (R-9), and Senate Democratic Leader Robert Mellow (D-22) announced
that they will jointly introduce a set of Rules of Ethical Conduct for the state
Senate.
Argall Introduces Legislation to Reduce the
Size of the Legislature
Senator David G. Argall (R-29) announced legislation that would reduce the
size of the state legislature by more than 20 percent.
 
Senator Mike Brubaker - OP-ED: Budget Process is in Dire Need of
Changes
One of the lessons we learned during this year’s budget impasse is that the
budget process is fatally flawed. The impasse put many of our citizens in harm’s
way, and we cannot allow our social services and non-profit organizations to be
faced with the prospect of receiving no state funding while elected officials
continue to hash out their differences months after the budget deadline. Any
process that puts politics above people requires a drastic overhaul.
Scarnati: Senate Members Do Not Have Conflicts With District Office
Rentals
There are no members of the Senate who currently rent their district offices
from firms in which they or their family members have a financial interest,
according to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati.
Bill to Reform Juvenile Justice Courts Passes Senate, Heads to
Governor
Legislation that would
help to prevent corruption in county juvenile courts has passed the State Senate
with unanimous support and now heads to the Governor for his approval, according
to Senator Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne).
 
Brubaker to Introduce Legislation to Improve the Budget Process
Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-36) announced that he will introduce legislation to
improve the budget process and ensure future budgets are approved before the
start of each fiscal year.

Senate Approves Senator Browne's Senate Bill 1
The Senate approved
Senate Bill 1, legislation intended to fundamentally reform Pennsylvania's
budgeting process while increasing transparency and accountability in state
government, according to Senator Pat Browne (R-16), prime sponsor of the
measure.

- Senator Browne

- Senator Pileggi

- Senator Corman

- Senator Folmer

- Senator Orie

- Senator Wonderling
Appropriations Committee Approves Senate Bill 1
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved
Senate Bill 1,
legislation intended to fundamentally reform Pennsylvania's budgeting process
while increasing transparency and accountability in state government, according
to Senator Jake Corman (R-34), committee chairman and co-sponsor of the measure.

Senate Approves Browne's Taxpayer Transparency Act
The Senate approved a measure introduced by
Senator Pat Browne (R-16) to expand the public’s access to state
spending records.
Senate Approves Brubaker Stimulus Oversight Bill
The Senate unanimously approved legislation that would
provide transparency and oversight of all federal stimulus dollars spent in
Pennsylvania, according to the bill's sponsor Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-36).
Senator Lloyd Smucker: Floor Remarks – Sunshine Penalties Bill (SB 101) Although many Pennsylvanians are understandably focused on
economic difficulties, and tax and spending matters, they still want to see
action on reform.
Senator Lloyd Smucker: Floor Remarks – Aircraft Log Requirements (SB 110)
This reform bill puts into law the sort of accountability
measure that taxpayers believe should be standard across state government.
Senate Bill 1 Would Bring Transparency to Budget Process
A landmark bill drafted by Senator Pat Browne (R-16) would
fundamentally reform Pennsylvania's budgeting process to expedite the procedure
while increasing transparency and accountability in state government.
Orie Sponsors Bill to Reinstate Ban on Gaming Contributions
As part of her continued effort to reform Pennsylvania's
gaming laws, Senator Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) has introduced legislation to
reinstate the state's ban on political contributions by gaming interests.
Auditor General's Letter on Stimulus Oversight Demonstrates Need For
Accountability, Transparency
Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-36) issued the following statement
in response to Auditor General Jack Wagner’s recent letter to the federal
government urging stronger oversight and transparency measures for stimulus
dollars.
Senators Unveil Gaming Reform Package to Provide Stricter Oversight, Greater
Accountability
Stressing that Pennsylvania needs to take the lead now to
more tightly regulate the gaming industry and provide greater accountability and
transparency, a bipartisan group of Senators today unveiled a wide-ranging
package of reform bills.
Appropriations Committee Approves Government Disclosure Bills
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill
increasing public access to state spending records. The Committee also approved
a legislative package intended to increase disclosure and reporting requirements
for environmental protection programs, according to Appropriations Committee
Chairman Senator Jake Corman (R-34).
Senate Passes Erickson Bill to Ensure State Regulations are Based on Reliable
Data
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Ted Erickson (R-26) to help
ensure that state regulations are based on reliable data and sound science was
unanimously approved by the state Senate this week.
Baker Unveils Juvenile Justice Reforms and Remedies Senator Lisa Baker (R-20) unveiled a package of
reform measures to address corruption in the Luzerne County Courthouse affecting
several thousand juveniles and their families.
Senator Orie and Senator Eichelberger to Sponsor Legislation to Tighten State
Laws Involving Government Contracts
Seeking to strengthen state laws involving government
contracts, Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) and Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr.
(R-Blair) are introducing legislation that would prohibit the spouse and
children of public officials and government employees from entering into
contracts with the agencies that their spouse or parents are a member of or
employed by.
Brubaker Responds To Executive Order Creating Governor's Stimulus Oversight
Commission
Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-36) issued the following statement
in response to the governor's Executive Order creating the Pennsylvania
Stimulus Oversight Commission
Senator Orie Re-Introduces Legislation to Provide Stricter Oversight Over State
Grants
The recent scandals involving the misuse of state economic
development grants in Beaver County has prompted Senator Jane Orie (R-Allegheny)
to renew her efforts to provide stricter oversight over state grants used for
job creation and retention
Senators Pileggi, Vogel to Introduce Senate Rule Addressing Potential Abuse of
Non-Profits
Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9) and Senator
Elder Vogel (R-47) announced their intention to introduce a new Senate rule
designed to address the potential abuse of non-profit organizations highlighted
in this week's grand jury presentment.
Senators Pileggi, Mellow Announce RSS Feeds, Providing Easier Access to Senate
Activity
Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9) and Senate
Democratic Leader Robert Mellow (D-22) announced the creation of seven new RSS
feeds to give the public easier access to Senate activity.
Orie and Vereb Question Gaming Control Board's Travel Decisions While Requesting
a 6 Percent Budget Increase
Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny/Butler) and Rep. Mike Vereb
(R-Montgomery) led a group of lawmakers today in demanding answers from the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) regarding its travel expenses, namely
trips to Italy and Las Vegas, after the governor imposed an out-of-state travel
ban. Both legislators will introduce legislation to create a searchable database
for all state travel.
Senator Orie Introduces Legislation to Protect Against Voter Fraud
Seeking to reduce cases of voter fraud and abuse, Senator
Jane Orie (R-40) has introduced legislation to require voters to show photo
identification before they cast their ballots.
Senator Brubaker Introducing Bill to Ensure Transparency, Accountability of
Stimulus Funds
Senator Mike
Brubaker (R-36) announced that he will introduce legislation to ensure
transparency and accountability as Pennsylvania receives and spends many
billions of dollars under the federal stimulus package.
Senator Orie
Introducing Legislation to Reform "Pay-to-Play"
Procurement Process
Senate Majority Whip Jane Clare Orie (R-40) today announced that she will
introduce legislation to deal with the practice of "pay-to-play" in the area
of contract procurement.
Senate Budget
Hearings Available Live on the Internet
Senate hearings on the Governor’s proposed budget begin
Monday February 23 and for the first time will be available for viewing live on
the Internet this year, according to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman
Jake Corman (R-Bellefonte) and Democratic Chairman Jay Costa (D-Allegheny).
Senator Yaw Introduces Bill to Stop "Revolving Door" Between Government Work and
Lobbying
Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) announced that he will introduce
legislation designed to help stop the revolving door of state
government, which allows employees to move between industry jobs and
government jobs which influence that industry.
Senators Pileggi, Mellow Applaud Senate Adoption of Rule Prohibiting Robo-Call
Funding
Senate Majority Leader Dominic
Pileggi (R-9) and Senate Democratic Leader Robert Mellow (D-22) today applauded
the Senate's unanimous adoption of a rule to prohibit Senate funds from being
used for robo-calls.
Senate Republicans Comment on State Vehicle Report from Auditor General Jack
Wagner
Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25), Senate
Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9), and Senator Mike Folmer (R-48) commented on the release of Auditor General Jack Wagner's
Special Report on the administration's use and management of state vehicles.
Senate Republicans Introduce 10-Bill Reform Package to Change Culture of State
Government Members of the Senate Republican Caucus announced the
introduction of a 10-bill package of government reforms intended to continue
changing the culture of state government by increasing accountability and
transparency.
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