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For Immediate Release Piccola Leads Call for Special Session on Ethics ReformHARRISBURG – In response to the first wave of presentments handed down by the State Attorney General late last week, Sen. Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin/York) was joined by fellow Senators and colleagues from the House of Representatives and members of the reform movement today to call on Governor Edward G. Rendell to convene a special session of the General Assembly in the fall for the purpose of reforming the General Assembly and providing for the ethical conduct of state government. "To paraphrase the famous line from the movie Apollo 13, 'Pennsylvania, we have a problem,'" Piccola said. "It is a problem of arrogance, it is a problem of greed, it is a problem of corruption, and most of all it is a problem of a system that encourages, protects and rewards all three. We are under a huge cloud. And only we can clear this cloud away." Piccola is circulating a petition to all members of the General Assembly in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, which would require the Governor to convene a special session of the General Assembly if a majority of members from both chambers request such a session. The petition calls for the special session to consider any and all legislation necessary to reform the General Assembly, the legislative process and to improve the ethical governance of Pennsylvania. "As public servants, we have an innate commitment to the people of the Commonwealth," Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D-York) said. "I believe we need to actively work to restore the people's faith in the General Assembly. This special session would be a first step down that path." Also present and signing the petition were Senators Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) and Patricia Vance (R-Cumberland) and Representatives Katie True (R-Lancaster), RoseMarie Swanger (R-Lebanon) and Keith Gillespie (R-York). Senator Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster) signed the petition earlier in the day and several other legislators expressed interest in doing so. Joining the legislators at the podium during the press conference were reformers Matthew Brouillette of the Commonwealth Foundation, Tim Potts of Democracy Rising PA, Eric Epstein of Rock the Capitol, Bonita Hoke of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Chris Lilik of the Young Conservatives of PA, and Gene Stilp of Taxpayers & Ratepayers United. The reformers delivered a letter to Governor Rendell after the conference, urging him to convene a Special Session on Public Integrity. "The only way to restore the confidence of citizens in their government is to make fundamental changes in law, changes that will prevent the scandals we have seen in recent years," Tim Potts said. "One of the best ways to do that is with a special session where the issues receive a full hearing and a vote by those who represent the citizens." Brouillette echoed that sentiment, stating that "Pennsylvania needs a focused and major overhaul of the policymaking process in Harrisburg to restore citizens' trust in state government. It's time to end the rhetoric about reform. We need results. Governor Rendell and leaders in the General Assembly must get serious about changing the culture and climate of Harrisburg through a special session. Failure to act is a failure to lead." Epstein added, "By and large there are many decent, hard working people in Harrisburg. A few bad actors have abused our system of government and highlighted the need for serious change. What's broken needs to be fixed and engaging in a special session is the logical step to tackle these tough issues." CONTACT: Mary Taylor
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