Why would legislators, who have been elected by the voters in their districts to serve as their representatives in Harrisburg, voluntarily give up their ability to legislate in the best interests of those constituents?  

This is exactly what happens on the first day of each session.  Every year legislators vote to support the procedural rules governing the operation of committees which they agree to without even being allowed enough time to actually read the rules they are voting on.    

Because of these procedural rules, year after year, hundreds of bills die in committee because a committee chair or party leader decides to prevent it reaching the floor for a vote by the people’s representatives.  Many of these bills address critical issues with strong bipartisan support across the state such as testing for unsafe drinking water or eliminating legislative Gerrymandering.  When our elected legislators are prevented from voting on issues of importance to their constituents, our system of representative democracy is at risk.

It is time that our elected representatives take back their legislative responsibilities so they can act in the interests of the people in their districts and not cede their decision-making authority to a few party bosses.

Monica Weninger

Jean Weston

Co-Presidents

League of Women Voters of Bucks County