DeWeese bill would promote public review of bills
HARRISBURG – House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese had said he would steer clear of involvement in the House rules reform panel for fear of prejudicing the process, but Monday offered a proposal that would give legislation a more open public review. DeWeese is throwing support behind a proposal to curb the workings of the leadership-controlled Rules Committee by prohibiting bills from undergoing substantive amendments there.
The practice of using the Rules Committee to gut innocuous bills and replace them with dramatically different language has been a fairly common practice in the Legislature and has given leadership tremendous control over legislation.
“As far as a legislative leader doing what I did today, this was a comparatively unparalleled statement from someone who is privileged to do what I do,” said DeWeese. “This is certainly the most substantive [reform] because this could have far more impact on future state budgets and tax considerations.”
DeWeese said if the House Legislative Reform Commission – to which he’s appointed 12 members – does not recommend the proposal to the full House for a vote he would as leader of the Rules Committee make the change as a matter of course.
The Greene County Democrat has been battling a public relations fiasco after revelations that he handed out $2.3 million in bonuses over the last two years. Since then he has been seeking to polish his image, eliminating catered meals for House Democrats and himself, and doing away with his personal driver.
“Most people are becoming manifestly acquainted with the [Capitol] cafeteria,” DeWeese said.
He explained the need to interject himself in the rules commission on this matter because of his special role as chairman of the Rules Committee.
“I just thought it was appropriate to make a very substantive statement to the Speaker’s reform commission relative to the way we run the House floor,” said DeWeese. “The essence of any of the reforms will be seen in the process in the chamber itself. These other reforms are admittedly modest steps in the right direction. This is a massive step.”
DeWeese said he’ll likely be behind the 20 to 30 other recommendations the commission forwards to the House floor for a final vote March 12.
“I cannot fathom doing anything other than supporting all the recommendations of the reform commission,” he said.
Instead of going to the Rules Committee, where bills either die or are dramatically altered, legislation coming from the Senate would be sent to the appropriate standing committee, said DeWeese. There, changes to legislation would be debated openly before going to the floor.
“It would slow down the process and allow the sun to shine in,” he said.
Alison Hawkes can be reached at 717-705-6330 or ahawkes@calkins-media.com