2006 the "year of integrity"

Now that the year that saw the pay-raise debacle has ended, a coalition of citizens groups wants to make 2006 the "year of integrity" for the state Legislature.

Reform groups like Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, Rock the Capitol, Democracy Rising and Pa. Clean Sweep yesterday urged lawmakers to make state government more "open and accountable" to Pennsylvania's 12 million residents and to give all bills adequate hearings before they are voted on.

Clean Sweep leader Russ Diamond said that 2005 "was a watershed year for the General Assembly," as it passed pay raises of 16 to 34 percent in the dead of night in July and then, after a huge public outcry, rescinded the raises in November.

"Now we need to keep the momentum going," said Mr. Diamond, a Lebanon businessman and political activist.

He said that on Jan. 30, he'll release the names of 65 challengers who plan to run against General Assembly incumbents in the May 16 Democratic and Republican primaries. He's still hoping to find more challengers. The organization has called for all incumbents to be booted from office.

All candidates will then have from Feb. 14 to March 7 to get signatures of registered voters on their election petitions so they can run. All 203 House members and half the 50-member Senate are up for re-election this year.

Besides the challengers running in the May primary, Mr. Diamond said that Pa. Clean Sweep has found 30 other candidates willing to run against incumbents in the November general election.
Mr. Diamond also urged 127 legislators who accepted higher compensation from the pay raise in the form of "unvouchered expenses'' last year to return the money to the state treasury.

Post-Gazette