Lawmakers unveil government reform measures
HARRISBURG (AP) — Pennsylvania state lawmakers are joining a newly formed government reform caucus and hoping that its bipartisan membership and recent scandals will help propel their bills into law.
The latest bills were unveiled Monday by Sens. John Eichelberger and Michael Stack.
One bill is designed to prevent lobbyists from acting as campaign managers and consultants. Other bills would require more gifts to lawmakers and executive-branch officials to be publicly reported and prohibit the governor or his staff from accepting gifts from friends who do business with or are regulated by the state.
Another would seek more transparency in state contracting.
The proposals come in the wake of a state Supreme Court justice’s corruption conviction and state prosecutors filing charges in an alleged “pay to play” scandal at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.