Senate Floor Activity Now Broadcast On Internet

HARRISBURG – Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25), Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9), and Democrat Leader Robert Mellow (D-22) today announced that a video feed of the Senate's floor action is now available live via the Internet.

The live video stream is available through the Senate's bipartisan web site at www.pasen.gov by clicking on "Senate Session Live."

This is another way for the Senate to make itself more transparent," said Sen. Scarnati. "We're proud of the work we do, and I hope this encourages even more people to take part in the legislative process."

"Government reform is a session-long focus for us," said Sen. Pileggi. "Making the Senate's floor activity open to anyone with an Internet connection is another step forward."

"Since the Senate first began televising sessions, the public has been able to watch every debate and every vote," said Sen. Mellow, who led the push for television broadcasting of Senate sessions, which began in 1993. "This is a natural extension."

Broadcasting the Senate's floor action on the Internet is the latest in a string of reforms and improvements to public access. New Senate rules include:

Prohibiting robo-calls using Senate funds.
Requiring all roll call votes from the Senate floor to be posted on the Internet within 24 hours, and all Senate committee votes to report legislation to be posted within 48 hours.
Requiring posting the Senate's Legislative Journal – which includes the full text of all floor debates – on the Internet within 45 days.
Requiring amendments to be posted to the Internet before they may be offered on the Senate floor.
Establishing a six-hour waiting period before the Senate votes on an amended bill or a conference committee report.
Requiring an updated fiscal note for a bill when an amendment to that bill has a fiscal impact.
Limiting Senate session times to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Eliminating private leases for Senate vehicles.
Implementing a co-pay on health insurance for senators and staff.
Prohibiting members who live within 50 miles of the Capitol from claiming per diems.

In addition, House Bill 10 was amended by the Senate in June to unlink state judicial salaries from federal salaries. That bill has been signed into law as Act 30 of 2007.

Other reform bills to pass the Senate this year include Senate Bill 467, which would increase penalties for violating the Sunshine Law; Senate Bill 468, which would eliminate "lame duck" legislative sessions; and Senate Bill 729, which would require government salary information to be posted online.

CONTACTS:

Sen. Scarnati: Tim Nyquist, mnyquist@pasen.gov, (717) 787-7084
Sen. Pileggi: Erik Arneson, earneson@pasen.gov , (717) 787-4712
Sen. Mellow: Charlie Tocci, ctocci@pasenate.com, (717) 787-6481