PRINTER'S NO. 1329
No. 98 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY MOWERY, HOLL, TARTAGLIONE, LEMMOND, THOMPSON,
MURPHY, BODACK, KUKOVICH AND SLOCUM, SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Amending Senate Resolution No. 8, adopted June 16, 1999,
2 entitled "A concurrent resolution directing the Joint State
3 Government Commission to create a bipartisan task force to
4 study the feasibility of changing the date of general primary
5 elections and municipal primary elections to September,"
6 further providing for the date of the report to the General
7 Assembly.
8 RESOLVED, That Senate Resolution No. 8, adopted June 16,
9 1999, be amended to read:
10 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
11 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to create a
12 bipartisan task force to study the feasibility of changing
13 the date of general primary elections and municipal primary
14 elections to September.
15 WHEREAS, The number of registered voters in this Commonwealth
16 has increased while the number of people voting in elections
17 continues to decrease; and
18 WHEREAS, This decrease may be due to, among other things,
19 negative attitudes resulting from longer campaign seasons and
20 negative campaigning; and
1 WHEREAS, The six-month period between the primary in the
2 spring and the general election in November necessitates the
3 raising of more money for campaigning than would a two-month
4 period and thus increases the influence of money on the
5 political process; therefore be it
6 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
7 General Assembly direct the Joint State Government Commission to
8 create a bipartisan task force consisting of two members
9 appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, two
10 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, two
11 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
12 and two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
13 Representatives; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That the task force create an advisory committee
15 composed of one representative from, and designated by, each of
16 the following: the Bureau of Election of the Department of
17 State, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, the
18 Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, the Pennsylvania
19 State Association of Township Commissioners, the Pennsylvania
20 State Association of Township Supervisors and the Pennsylvania
21 League of Cities and Municipalities and such additional members
22 as the task force shall deem appropriate; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That the task force shall study the feasibility of
24 changing general primary elections and municipal primary
25 elections to September, along with the question of the timing of
26 the presidential primaries and the possibility of separating the
27 presidential primary from the primary for nominations to other
28 public offices which study shall analyze and estimate the costs
29 to the State and county governments to make the change, as well
30 as the impact such a change could have on reducing election
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1 campaigning and campaign finance costs; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That the [Joint State Government Commission] task
3 force report its findings, recommendations and proposed
4 legislation to the General Assembly no later than September 1,
5 [1999] 2000.
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