HARRISBURG – Legislation reducing the size of the PA General Assembly and another placing PA on a biennial (two year) budget cycle is being introduced by Sen. Lisa Boscola of Lehigh & Northampton Counties. Under the first proposal, the state House would decrease from 203 to 101 members, and the state Senate would decrease from 50 to 38 members. PA currently has the largest full-time state legislature in the nation. Boscola says the proposal is about responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Fewer legislators will reduce the overall cost of government by lowering expenses related to salaries, benefits, staffing, and daily operational costs. The second proposal would put PA in a two-year budget cycle which the lawmaker says would bring much-needed stability and predictability to the process. It would encourage long-range planning by state agencies and organizations that depend on state support.
SEN. LISA BOSCOLA