Live Video of Senate Floor Activity Now Available Online

HARRISBURG – Senator Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks) 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." McIlhinney said that the live video feed of Senate floor activity will improve the public's access to information on the actions of the General Assembly.

"Providing live coverage of the Senate's floor activities will give the public unprecedented access to floor debates and votes," McIlhinney said. "The General Assembly has made great strides in giving the general population more access to state government in recent months, and I am very pleased that we are continuing to move forward on the government reform agenda."

Broadcasting the Senate's floor action on the Internet is the latest initiative by the Senate to promote public access and create a more open and accountable state government. The Senate has enacted a number of new rules to improve access to legislative information and improve the legislative process, including:

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 the Senate's Legislative Journal – which includes the full text of all floor debates – to be posted 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, and
prohibiting members who live within 50 miles of the Capitol from claiming per diems.

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.

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.

CONTACT:

Heather Cevasco
(717) 787-7305