Rendell sees no need for session on reform
For the Herald-Standard HARRISBURG – Gov. Ed Rendell does not see a need for a special session on bills intended to restore integrity in state government, a spokesman said Monday.
“He has previously expressed support for term limits and a smaller Legislature and would view other legislative reforms favorably,” said Chuck Ardo, a spokesman for the governor. “However, public officials already take an oath and swear to act with integrity in doing the public’s business and are expected to do so daily.”
Rendell’s comments came after a half dozen government reform activists held a Capitol press conference calling for a special session of the Legislature on integrity issues.
Under the state constitution, the governor is the only state official with the authority to convene the Legislature in a special session.
Tim Potts, co-founder of the Harrisburg-based reform group Democracy Rising Pennsylvania, said the reform groups wanted a special session to pass legislation limiting campaign contributions, ending lame-duck legislative sessions, banning gifts to lawmakers from lobbyists and other issues.
“We implore him (Rendell) to use his bully pulpit throughout the commonwealth to encourage, provoke and, if necessary, to shame our legislators into giving Pennsylvania the highest standards of public integrity in America before November’s Election Day,” Potts said.
But even some state lawmakers who have worked on reform issues said they did not think a special session would accomplish much.
Rep. David Steil, R-Bucks County, said the problem is a lack of urgency to pass reform measures.
“If leadership on both sides believed that these are critical issues, they would find the legislative days to do them,” said Steil, who served as the Republican chairman of a legislative panel that recommended changes to House rules last year.