For the first time, Pa. Senate gives public online access to spending records
Though a win for taxpayers, the information provided online is not searchable or easy to analyze.
Though a win for taxpayers, the information provided online is not searchable or easy to analyze.
Following reporting by The Caucus and Spotlight PA, the Pennsylvania Senate said it will post expenses online, though it’s unclear in what format.
Per diems allow legislators to collect flat-rate payments intended for food and lodging without turning over any receipts. They were front and center in the charges against Margo Davidson.
Mileage, meals, lodging, travel, and a special perk called per diems are part of the hidden costs charged to taxpayers to support Pennsylvania’s legislature.
The bipartisan measure comes in response to an ongoing investigation by Spotlight PA and The Caucus into how taxpayers shell out millions each year for perks but are largely unaware of that spending.
A web of expense accounts, few reporting requirements, and questionable claims of “legislative privilege” help keep lawmaker spending obscured — and the public in the dark.
A campaign event for Jake Corman, the top Republican in the state Senate, is being organized by a company that has cornered the market on a political practice he wants to end.
The move further solidifies the influence of lobbyist Ray Zaborney, who, with his wife, runs a trio of companies that help elect public officials, then lobby them once in office.
Sen. Jake Corman wants to enact new transparency measures to restore trust in the legislature. But skeptics counter that the GOP has for years allowed reform efforts to fail.