PRINTER'S NO. 1463
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
258
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY TEPLITZ, WOZNIAK, BREWSTER, EICHELBERGER,
RAFFERTY, VULAKOVICH AND PILEGGI, DECEMBER 8, 2015
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, DECEMBER 8, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating the week of December 7 through 13, 2015, as
"Government Reform Week" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Residents of this Commonwealth expect and deserve a
more accountable, efficient, transparent, fiscally responsible
and effective government; and
WHEREAS, The Center for Public Integrity's State Integrity
Investigation, released in November 2015, ranked Pennsylvania
45th in the country in government integrity, and Pennsylvania
was one of 11 states that received a failing grade; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania received failing grades in seven
subtopics, including political financing, electoral oversight,
legislative accountability, judicial accountability, State civil
service management, ethics enforcement agencies and State
pension fund management; and
WHEREAS, The failing grades marked a slide for Pennsylvania
from the 20th place ranking for the Commonwealth earned in a
similar assessment published in 2012; and
WHEREAS, A positive assessment in the report for Pennsylvania
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is the Commonwealth's 4th place ranking for laws and processes
that provide public access to government records; and
WHEREAS, While the Commonwealth's 4th place national ranking
shows that progress has been made in the area of government
transparency, the grade received by Pennsylvania indicates that
the effort to improve government transparency must continue; and
WHEREAS, Based on a published academic study, Americans are
most concerned about corruption of government officials; and
WHEREAS, The findings of this study, published by Chapman
University, emphasize that reform is not a choice, but a
necessity; and
WHEREAS, "Government Reform Week" is a time to take stock of
the function of State government over the past year, while
looking forward to the reforms that should be enacted in the
next year; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the week of December 7
through 13, 2015, as "Government Reform Week" in Pennsylvania.
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