Preserving A Small District Legislature
Cohen called reducing the size of the Pennsylvania General Assembly a "terrible idea whose time should never come" that would reduce the range of political opinion in the legislative process, make election campaigns more expensive, make legislators "more remote" from their constituents, and "less representative of the average citizen." He said the fiscal impact would be the same as closing one high school of the List of high schools in Pennsylvania. He warned his colleagues that reducing the size of the state house after the 2022 elections meant that in 2022 about half of the House members would face challenges from other House members, and that this fact would undermine colleagiality in the House until these elections took place. Others shared his concerns. Still others partially agreed with him, but still favored a smaller legislature, or favored elimination of the 50 member Pennsylvania Senate instead.
While the Pennsylvania House voted to reduce the size (and increase the number of people per district)of both the Pennsylvania House and the Pennsylvania Senate, the Pennsylvania Senate declined to follow in the remainder of the 2011-2012 legislative sessions. This forces proponents of the constitutional amendment to start over again in the 2013-2014 legislative session.
Read more about this topic: Mark B. Cohen
Famous quotes containing the words preserving, small, district and/or legislature:
“Among the best traitors Ireland has ever had, Mother Church ranks at the very top, a massive obstacle in the path to equality and freedom. She has been a force for conservatism, not on the basis of preserving Catholic doctrine or preventing the corruption of her children, but simply to ward off threats to her own security and influence.”
—Bernadette Devlin (b. 1947)
“The sickness of our times for me has been just this damn thing that everything has been getting smaller and smaller and less and less important, that the romantic spirit has dried up, that there is no shame today.... Were all getting so mean and small and petty and ridiculous, and we all live under the threat of extermination.”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)
“Most works of art, like most wines, ought to be consumed in the district of their fabrication.”
—Rebecca West (18921983)
“It seemed monstrous to our intolerant youth that poor white folksy men should have an equal right with gentlemen, born and bred, in deciding who should represent the county in the Legislature and the district in Congress.”
—Marion Harland (18301922)