Proposed Agenda

for a

Special Session on Public Integrity in 2008

Following are proposals that warrant debate and a vote in a Special Session on Public Integrity.

Legislative Priorities

Lobbying Control

• Ban lobbyist-provided gifts, hospitality, travel and entertainment.

Ban Lame-Duck Session

• End session on or before October 1 by joint resolution.

Open Records

• Require the General Assembly and each of its members to comply fully with a modernized law to the same degree and in the same detail as required of executive branch and local government agencies. Such law must begin with a presumption that all government records are open to the public, and exemptions carefully and narrowly drawn for the purpose of protecting safety and security.
• Require the judicial branch to comply with the Open Records Law.
• Assign a legislative body the immediate task of re-writing existing law to give Pennsylvania the highest standards of integrity and openness in America for public access to government documents.

Legislator Voting Records

• All votes by individual legislator – including committee votes, procedural votes and votes on amendments and final passage – must be posted online within 24 hours with links to the language actually voted upon and the final outcome of the vote.
• Create a database that allows citizens to search each legislator’s voting record by subject matter.

Citizen Opportunity Period (COP)

• Require a waiting period of at least 72 hours, preferably two weeks, between final amendment and final passage of all legislation in each chamber.

Perks

• Provide a monthly online accounting for each legislator detailing the cost of all salary, benefits and expenses paid during the previous month.
• Permit per diems for actual expenses only as documented by detailed vouchers that are open to public inspection via the Internet.
• Prohibit all forms of unvouchered expenses.
• Adjust health care insurance benefits so that they are consistent with current private sector practices for ordinary workers.

Campaign finance

• Prohibit fundraising events outside of a candidate’s or incumbent’s district within one week of a legislative session day. 
• Require public reporting of campaign donations one week prior to the primary and general election.

Elections

• Amend election laws so that they level the playing field for all citizens who want to run for public office regardless of party affiliation.
• Examine taxpayer-funded primary elections for political parties.
• Require voter-verifiable balloting with random audits.
• Amend laws with respect to judicial elections to create the best judicial election system in America.
• Convert to non-partisan voter registration.

State Ethics Commission

• Strengthen the State Ethics Commission to provide greater authority and ability to investigate and prosecute wrong-doing by state and local officials.

Compensation for Public Officials

• Create an independent commission to study and recommend for legislative adoption, without amendment, compensation plans for all public officials.

Audits

• Require a forensic audit of all legislative accounts for the period 2002-03 through 2007-08.
• Require the Auditor General to conduct biennial audits of the legislature with the results and supporting documents posted on the Commonwealth’s website.

Enforcement

• Revise all laws regarding matters of public integrity to provide for the strongest enforcement practices in America.

Legislative Offices

• Create regional district offices for legislators that are not dependent upon incumbency and that provide constituent services unrelated to incumbency.

Constitutional Priorities

Constitution Convention

• Authorize a general constitutional convention at which all sections of the Constitution are available for amendment and to which all interested citizens have an equal opportunity to become delegates.

Ban Lame-Duck Session

• Passage of an amendment to prohibit lame-duck session.

Re-Districting

• Establish an independent commission to conduct Congressional and legislative redistricting which promotes competitiveness and partisan fairness, respect for political subdivisions and communities of interest and encourages geographical compactness and respect for natural geographical features and barriers.

Judicial Selection

• Propose to amend the Constitution to create the best system of judicial selection in America.

Initiative, Referendum and Recall

• Passage of an amendment to create these new opportunities for public oversight, accountability, and engagement in government