Lobbying Disclosure, Gaming Reform bills Approved

Senate sends important measures to Governor for enactment

Convening in a rare Friday afternoon session, the state Senate gave final approval today (October 27) to legislation addressing lobbyist disclosure and gaming reform, according to Senator Don White, R-41st District.

"The fact that the Senate convened specifically to consider the House's amendments to House Bill 700 (lobbyist disclosure) and Senate Bill 862 (gaming reform) clearly shows the importance of these measures," Senator White said. "These bills have been a long time coming and we (the Senate) recognized that it was time to finally pass this legislation and send it to the Governor's desk for enactment into law."

House Bill 700 would require lobbyists and principals to register every two years and to report their spending four times a year. The measure will show the public who is working on legislation and how much is being spent to advocate for those changes.

"This legislation would improve the public disclosure standards in Harrisburg," Senator White said. "The people have a right to know who is lobbying, what they are spending to impact public policy, and the issues at which those lobbying efforts are being directed. This is good policy and a necessary step to maintain the public’s confidence in the decisions made by state lawmakers."

With the Senate's concurrence to the House amendments to SB 862, the gaming reform bill also heads to the Governor for enactment.

"The initial licenses for facilities are already out there, so it became extremely important that the General Assembly stop bouncing this bill back and forth and take action to address the concerns that have arisen regarding gaming in Pennsylvania," Senator White said. "Several compromises were included in this bill, but the essential reforms that are at the heart of the legislation were unchanged. Senate Bill 862 sets clear standards that bar public officials from participating in gaming ventures and addresses a number of other issues that had to be resolved."

The core reforms in the legislation include eliminating the one-percent ownership threshold for public officials, expanding the Attorney General’s power to prosecute crimes associated with gaming, and ensuring accountability of the Gaming Control Board.