(Harrisburg) -- A state House panel is beginning to consider a number of proposals to reduce the size of the Legislature and, in some bills, increase the length of legislators’ terms.

Republican Representative Daryl Metcalfe, Chairman of the House State Government Committee, says the constitutional allotment of 50 senators and 203 representatives doesn’t make sense when travel and working online makes it easier for more far-flung legislators to do their jobs. And even after technical difficulties belabored the testimony of at least one far-flung representative who joined the meeting via Skype, Metcalfe says he’s inclined to push for fewer lawmakers. "I think that the points that were made, is we don’t travel on horseback any longer, you know we have technology even though Skype didn’t work very well today," he says. "We still have the ability to bring testimony in."

During the hearing, arguments against slimming the General Assembly’s roster came from the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s counsel, representing rural residents he says are happy with their level of representation. Reducing the legislature requires a constitutional amendment -- meaning, a bill needs passage in the House and Senate, and then must be approved by voters.