LETTER: Make a difference and vote
Some of my Greene County neighbors have explained to me why they are not registered to vote or, if they are registered, that they don’t vote because they can’t make a difference. I understand their position, but if we do not pay attention to what happens in our legislature, we can never make a difference.
This is how bad it is in Harrisburg! Under the 2019-2020 rules, 50% of bills that passed one chamber never got a vote in the other chamber. Consequently, 93% of introduced bills were never even considered!
Was that session unusual? Hardly. Through September 2022, the figures for the current session are similar.
Although Pennsylvania has one of the largest and most expensive legislatures in the country, they accomplish very little. The state’s General Assembly passes less than 7% of bills introduced each session. Less than 20% are considered in committee, and some that do pass from committee with bipartisan support are never given a vote on the floor.
You can begin to increase your understanding of how the Pennsylvania legislature works (or doesn’t work) by going to fairdistrictspa.com. On this non-partisan site, you can learn how Pennsylvanians like you can make a difference. You can learn how you can become a more knowledgeable voter.
Know before you vote!
Janice Hatfield
Mt. Morris