A new session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly starts when the calendar flips to 2023.

And a Warren County League Women Voters program next week will “present facts and give ideas of a more effective legislation process.”

The event will be held Thursday, Dec. 8 ,at 6:30 p.m. at the Warren Public Library’s Slater Room. Phyllis Wright, local League volunteer who also volunteers with the League’s #FixHarrisburg initiative.

“Our full-time legislature is the largest in the country and third most expensive,” Wright told the Times Observer. “Now is the time for citizens to speak up on having a more effective legislative process.”

She said both the Senate and House operate under a slate of procedural rules.

“Unfortunately, these rules hinder solutions for a more effective legislative branch of our PA government,” Wright said. “They consolidate power into the hands of a few members of each chamber, allowing one committee chair or one legislative leader to block bills that have strong bipartisan public support.”

Such a situation unfolded back in Jan. when Representative Kathy Rapp said a bill regarding safe staffing in hospitals would not leave her committee.

She said in a hearing that the legislation “is not going to be passed in the Health Committee” this session.

Wright said the rules to govern the chambers are being drafted now.

“On the first day of every session, a vote is quickly pushed through,” she said. “Rank and file legislators are pressured to vote rules into place, often without reading them. This will happen Jan. 3 when the 2023 legislative session begins.”

So what can be done in response to these challenges?

Wright offered a couple suggestions: “Bills with strong bipartisan support should be guaranteed a vote in committee. At least 24 hours should be given to legislators to read the bills before a vote is taken; how and whether public hearings are conducted; public notification rule requirements; etc.”

She said that more than 80% of bills were never considered in committee and more than 50 percent passed in one chamber and died in the other.

“Fewer than 7% of bills made it to the governor’s desk,” she said. “Please join us to learn about what can be done for a more effective legislation process in Pennsylvania.”