A diverse and bipartisan group of legislators and advocates hoping to reform the redistricting process in Pennsylvania took to the Capitol Tuesday to urge other lawmakers to move along their plan, which would overhaul the process by which the Commonwealth’s congressional and state legislative districts are drawn.

There are companion bills in each chamber that would provide for the reform plan, House Bill 1835 sponsored by Rep. David Parker (R-Monroe) is the House vehicle and Senate Bill 484 sponsored by Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton) is the Senate vehicle. 

Senate Bill 562, legislation introduced by Sen. John Gordner (R-Columbia) that would increase legislative oversight of the regulatory review process, cleared the House State Government Committee along a party-line vote Wednesday after a contentious debate.

The PLS Reporter first covered Senate Bill 562 when the legislation was still at the co-sponsorship stage in January 2015. 

Senate legislation that would overhaul Pennsylvania’s state-run pension plans that benefit state and public school employees received the “tweaks” many were anticipating in a Tuesday morning vote by the House State Government Committee.

The legislation was changed to allow all current state employees—not just elected officials—to opt-in to the new side-by-side hybrid pension plan, eliminate the artificial funding collars for FY 2016-2017 the Senate included in the legislation, and require the Public Employee Retirement Commission to attach an actuarial note to the legislation as required by law.

All of the changes were agreed-to unanimously, but committee Democrats uniformly opposed the full measure.

Two Senate bills that sponsors say would bring more transparency to collective bargaining negotiations made their way out of the House State Government Committee Tuesday morning and now head to the House Floor for consideration.

Senate Bill 644 by Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) would require the Independent Fiscal Office to conduct a fiscal impact study of any collective bargaining agreement before it is officially enacted.

“Senate Bill 644 represents an ongoing effort to bring openness and transparency to state government,” Sen. Folmer said of his bill. “[It] does this by focusing on the cost, not on the details associated with the Commonwealth’s collective bargaining agreements.”

While House Bill 316—a bill to substantially reform Pennsylvania’s more than 1,400 municipal pension plans—was moved out of the House State Government Committee Tuesday morning, its consideration on the House Floor will likely be held off until state public pension reform legislation is dealt with by the legislature.

House Bill 316 would require all municipalities to move newly-hired police and firefighters into a cash balance pension system.

“There are no immediate plans [to run the bill] at this particular moment,” said Steve Miskin spokesperson for the House Speaker and Majority Leader.