Accountability and transparency concerns cited
Harrisburg – April 28, 2014 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny) said that there should be no votes on bills after Election Day in November.
In order to formally ask that there be no votes in a lame-duck session, Costa said today he has sent a letter to the Senate’s president pro tempore and the speaker of the House of Representatives urging them to announce that neither body will hold post-election session days.
In his letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Speaker of the House of Representatives Samuel Smith, Costa acknowledges that while post-election sessions may be necessary at some point in the future, “in the interests of member accountability to the citizens of each district and transparency of the process, I do not believe we should be holding post-election sessions this year (.)”
Dermody said both leaders are concerned that the problems Gov. Tom Corbett has encountered in getting his agenda adopted could lead to a wave of bills that the General Assembly could confront post-election.
“Neither the governor, nor members of both parties in both chambers are immediately accountable to the citizens of their districts via the democratic process if votes are taken in a 2014 lame-duck session,” Dermody said. “The governor may try to use a lame-duck session to push aggressively for issues that found little support when he was directly accountable to the voters.”
“We need to be upfront and allow citizens to evaluate the full record of the General Assembly and the governor at the ballot box, not after votes have been cast,” Costa commented after disclosing the details of his letter. “By November of this year, the legislature will have had nearly two full years to work through issues.”
Costa said that it was time that the General Assembly consider prohibiting lame-duck sessions. He pointed to legislation (SB 695) authored by Sen. Rob Teplitz (D-Dauphin) that would take steps toward such a prohibition.
The General Assembly adjourns sine die on November 30.
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Editor’s Note: Text of Costa’s letter follows
April 28, 2014
Hon. Joseph Scarnati, President Pro Tempore
Senate of Pennsylvania
292 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Hon. Samuel H. Smith, Speaker
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
139 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Dear President Scarnati and Speaker Smith:
As you well know, it is critical that members of the General Assembly be held accountable to the citizens of their districts for votes cast on the Senate and House floor. Therefore, post-General Election voting sessions, in which substantive legislative matters are considered, should be held only in emergency situations or in limited instances when there is a compelling need.
In the interests of member accountability to the citizens of each district, and transparency of the process, I do not believe we should be holding post-election sessions this year to move pieces of the governor’s policy agenda which failed to be considered prior to the General Election.
Therefore, I am requesting that you announce that the General Assembly will not be scheduling post-General Election session days this year. The final session days for both the Senate and House of Representatives should be held prior to the November election and the sine die adjournment on November 30, 2014. This ensures that the members of the General Assembly and the governor are held accountable for their votes and that their full record is available for scrutiny.
It is imperative that a decision regarding session is made and announced soon so that there can be proper planning by all members. In addition, it is important that the announcement be timely so that floor leaders in both the House and Senate can properly manage the legislative calendar.
Please advise me as soon as possible concerning my request to refrain from holding legislative session following this year’s General Election.
Sincerely,
Sen. Jay Costa
Democratic Leader