Recent allegations of Philadelphia area Representatives accepting cash from a confidential informant have lawmakers urging action on several bills that would ban public officials from accepting gifts and cash. The government reform caucus urged action Monday on several bills that would limit or ban public officials from accepting gifts and cash from lobbyists.
“It’s about time it’s long overdue with this unfortunate situation with the investigation in Philadelphia we finally have the legislative momentum to get it done,” says Representative Stephen Bloom ( R ) 199th District
The government reform caucus urged action Monday on several bills that would limit or ban public officials from accepting gifts and cash from lobbyists.
“We want to make sure that the laws are updated, the thresholds for reporting are lowered and that there be full disclosure of what is accepted and that way it`s all transparent,” says Sen. Rob Teplitz (D) 15th District
One of the thresholds that would be lowered includes any expense for transportation, lodging, and hospitality. Anything valued over $100 must be reported . The current threshold is set at $650. These lawmakers say the bills are a few examples of how they are trying to create more transparency in government
“A black eye for one is a black eye for all and i think a lot of us would like to correct that,” says Representative George Dunbar ® 56th District
The Government Reform Caucus was formed last spring , and they say they’ve been working on these bills for about a year now. The lawmakers present Monday’s press conference say they’ve been receiving bipartisan support on these bills.