Feb 22, 2007 By Amy Zalar 4 min read

House Speaker Dennis O’Brien, R-Philadelphia, is confident that substantial internal changes will be made during this legislative session, including getting more participation in government and increasing the openness of the legislature. O’Brien also said he believes Majority Leader H. William DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, will be a partner in reforms and is “fundamentally on board” regarding the need for changes in the way the legislature does business. “I joke sometimes I have to put a leash on him and pull him back,” O’Brien said of DeWeese’s recent enthusiasm for reform.

During a visit to the Herald-Standard Editorial Board Tuesday, O’Brien said the newly formed Speaker’s Reform Commission will be making real recommendations regarding changes to the rules, the handling of legislation, and changes to current law and it will not be merely a “cosmetic thing.”

O’Brien also confirmed that DeWeese was essentially behind the idea to establish a Speaker’s Reform Commission to study the issue. Among the appointments to the commission is state Rep. Timothy S. Mahoney, D-South Union, who is one of the 50 freshman legislators in the House.

O’Brien said the 24-member reform commission is currently charged with the task of evaluating the House rules, and its recommendations should be put to a vote March 12. “The first shot is always going to be difficult,” O’Brien said.

The Speaker said after the internal rules are established, the commission will work to get public input for reforms involving new legislation, such a new open records act. He said three-quarters of the reform commission must support a recommendation for it to pass at that level, a threshold purposely set to establish firm consensus.

As a way of changing the way the legislature does business internally, O’Brien said all reform commission members sit at folding tables during their meetings, as opposed sitting up at large desks above the others. He said in the past, testifying before chairmen and committee members sitting at huge desks was intimidating and daunting to others. Now, he said, “Everybody is on the same level.”

A firm believer in the need for everyone to work together, or at least to see other viewpoints, O’Brien said each time the reform commission meets, the members are seated in different chairs, so they are forced to interact with each other instead of assemble with a comfortable clique.

O’Brien said he has been in the legislature for 30 years and he believes with the 50 new members, there should be more consensus building and less incidents of paybacks for votes as in the past. He said all the past leadership has had different styles, adding that it is important for the legislature to define the way it wants to operate as an organization.

Despite the Republican Party being in the majority of the legislature for the past decade, O’Brien said he has frequently felt that he was in the minority. The Democrats currently outnumber Republicans 102 to 101, and votes across party lines may become more commonplace.

Although he said he was initially asked to switch to Democrat when DeWeese approached him to become speaker on New Year’s Day, O’Brien said he will remain a Republican and sees DeWeese as a partner in the quest for change. “I believe Bill DeWeese wants to create a legacy that will change the way people view the institution,” O’Brien said.

In light of the fact that it has become public that huge bonuses were paid to legislative staffers in the past year, O’Brien said he believes there should be more “consistency, parameters and guidelines” to future pay boosts. He said he is committed to looking at informational technology that would help with the quicker release of information.

Although Mahoney has already unveiled an open records bill, O’Brien said he has not yet reviewed it, saying instead he will wait until the process runs its course so he can’t be accused of using his high-ranking position to influence the outcome.

Whatever the resolution, O’Brien said it is vital that the commission continues to move forward in the years ahead. “We will move this ball forward. I am confident that whatever recommendations are made they will be substantial,” O’Brien said.