Credit: PA Internet News Service
Speaking in Pittsburgh earlier this week, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf introduced a plan to reform ethics rules in Pennsylvania.
Wolf’s plan follows other ethics measures he has put in place like banning members of his administration from taking gifts from special interests. His office said he has led the charge to implement broader reforms to tamp down the influence special interests can have on government officials.
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“Since day one of my administration, I have done things differently and worked to rebuild public trust in the executive branch,” said Wolf, who donates his state salary and refuses a pension. “This proposal enforces strict standards for how Harrisburg operates and it will rebuild trust in government. My plan will make sure that our citizens are the ones calling the shots – not entrenched special interests.”
The nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity have Pennsylvania a failing grade related for efforts to discourage corruption. The group said Harrisburg had an “entrenched culture of malfeasance.”
Below are the details on the “citizens first ethics reform plan:’
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Gift Ban for Public Officials: Governor Wolf banned members of his administration from accepting gifts, and believes all public officials should be held to the same standard. Pennsylvania is one of ten states with no specific law limiting gifts to public officials. Outside the executive branch, politicians in Harrisburg can take unlimited gifts from special interests. Governor Wolf wants his gift ban made permanent and expanded so all state elected officials are accountable to it.
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No Budget, No Pay: The influence of special interests in Harrisburg has crippled the Commonwealth’s budget process. This has resulted in a late budget in 6 of the last 10 years. Governor Wolf is calling for a “No Budget, No Pay” bill to stop paying legislators and their top staff, as well as the governor and top officials in the executive branch, until a complete budget is passed.
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Curb Special Interest Influence: Pennsylvanians need to have confidence that decisions made by their government are the product of a robust competition of ideas, not rewards for the special interests with the deepest pockets. Governor Wolf is proposing:
- Campaign Finance Reform: Enacting new campaign finance laws that would place limits on contributions to candidates seeking elected office, implement aggregate limits for races, place sensible restrictions on Political Action Committees (PACs), and strengthen reporting and disclosure requirements across the board to restore confidence in government, and curtail the role of campaign spending in our political process.
- Pay-to-Play Protections: Implementing broader “pay-to-play” provisions requiring the disclosure of campaign contributions made by parties seeking contracts.
- Outside Income Transparency: Requiring public officials to disclose sources, type of work, and amount of outside income received.
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Require Receipts for Public Official Expenses: In Governor Wolf’s administration and most of the private sector, employees pay for expenses, provide receipts and then are reimbursed. Currently, receipts are not required for all officials to be reimbursed with taxpayer dollars. Governor Wolf thinks the system should be reformed to cover all those serving in government, only allowing them to be reimbursed for the reasonable cost of travel, lodging, or food with an itemized receipt.
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Wolf’s new ethics reform package would have to pass the Republican-controlled legislature in Harrisburg before it could go into effect.
