Pa. House Begins Move To Reform Government

HARRISBURG (CBS) - The Pennsylvania House on Monday begins moving a package of government reform bills.

Stephen Miskin, spokesman for House Republican majority leaders, said these will be the first major pieces of legislation to be considered in the new session.  "When we were in the minority, we pushed the 'Pennsylvania Agenda for Trust in Harrisburg' – what we thought should be done to help restore that trust. Now that we're in the majority, we're not changing our tune. So, the first set of bills moving in the House are going to be aimed at restoring trust in state government," Miskin said.

Miskin added that the bills up for a committee vote include a measure that would create a searchable database for all state spending. Also included are measures that would strengthen whistleblower protections for all state employees and those working on state contracts, and one that would prohibit lawmakers from creating or maintaining non-profit organizations that receive public funds.

Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio