Bill to reduce legislature size shot down in committee

HARRISBURG -- Gene Stilp wanted everyone to know what he thought of Tuesday morning's meeting of the House State Government Committee meeting. So the longtime reform activist made an announcement to the handful of legislators and staffers moments before they began debating a bill that would reduce the General Assembly's size.

The whole hearing was a sham, he said, designed for political posturing rather than reform.

"Absolutely nothing will happen" for reform today, he said while standing next to fellow reformer Don Baylor.

Each held a picture of the committee's chairwoman, Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia), with her head superimposed on a beauty pageant contestant's body, a picture meant to deride her efforts at reforming state government. Josephs has become the favorite target of many state reformers because they accuse her of stalling reform legislation in her committee.

Lawmakers dismissed Stilp's antics as showmanship from someone dedicated more to himself than his cause. But they also just as easily dismissed, if much more politely, the bill from state Rep. Mark Mustio (R-Allegheny County) that would reduce the number of state lawmakers to 201, 20 percent fewer than the 253 who serve today.

Mustio, who has tried to testify before the committee about his bill for nearly two years, argued that reducing the General Assembly's size would respond to the will of the people, reduce costs and increase accountability. And he said the influx of new technology could handle increased demand on constituents services.

"I came up here not to make friends," testified Mustio, who added that he cut 20 percent of his own staff to set an example. "I can take the looks I'm getting in the hall ... but it's time for us to make some real change up here. Let's not say we're going to run reform measures and not do it."

But his proposal was picked apart by nearly every legislator present, including by Republicans and other legislators who campaign under the banner of change.

"Mr. Mustio and I are friends, but obviously I couldn't disagree with him more," said committee Chairman Matt Baker (R-Tioga County).

State Rep. Jaret Gibbons (D-Beaver County) reiterated several times he considered Mustio a friend, and that he was a supporter of many legislative reforms.

"I just think this is an overboard reform to fix the problems," he said.

Many reforms considered in the wake of the 2005 pay raise that put the movement in vogue -- legislature size, term limits for example -- have stalled after further scrutiny in the legislature.

The resistance on this occasion didn't surprise Mustio.

"It's a difficult issue for an employer to look at eliminating their own jobs," he told PolitickerPA.com in an interview after he testified.

Mustio faces Democrat Ayanna Lee this fall in a race targeted as a potential takeover for them. Mustio beat Democrat Ray Uhric won by 5,000 in 2006, 20 percentage points.

He said "99 percent" of the constituents he has talked to support reducing the legislature's size.