PRINTER'S NO. 1329
No. 98 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY MOWERY, HOLL, TARTAGLIONE, LEMMOND, THOMPSON, MURPHY, BODACK, KUKOVICH AND SLOCUM, SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1 Amending Senate Resolution No. 8, adopted June 16, 1999, 2 entitled "A concurrent resolution directing the Joint State 3 Government Commission to create a bipartisan task force to 4 study the feasibility of changing the date of general primary 5 elections and municipal primary elections to September," 6 further providing for the date of the report to the General 7 Assembly. 8 RESOLVED, That Senate Resolution No. 8, adopted June 16, 9 1999, be amended to read: 10 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 11 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to create a 12 bipartisan task force to study the feasibility of changing 13 the date of general primary elections and municipal primary 14 elections to September. 15 WHEREAS, The number of registered voters in this Commonwealth 16 has increased while the number of people voting in elections 17 continues to decrease; and 18 WHEREAS, This decrease may be due to, among other things, 19 negative attitudes resulting from longer campaign seasons and 20 negative campaigning; and
1 WHEREAS, The six-month period between the primary in the 2 spring and the general election in November necessitates the 3 raising of more money for campaigning than would a two-month 4 period and thus increases the influence of money on the 5 political process; therefore be it 6 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the 7 General Assembly direct the Joint State Government Commission to 8 create a bipartisan task force consisting of two members 9 appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, two 10 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, two 11 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives 12 and two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of 13 Representatives; and be it further 14 RESOLVED, That the task force create an advisory committee 15 composed of one representative from, and designated by, each of 16 the following: the Bureau of Election of the Department of 17 State, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, the 18 Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, the Pennsylvania 19 State Association of Township Commissioners, the Pennsylvania 20 State Association of Township Supervisors and the Pennsylvania 21 League of Cities and Municipalities and such additional members 22 as the task force shall deem appropriate; and be it further 23 RESOLVED, That the task force shall study the feasibility of 24 changing general primary elections and municipal primary 25 elections to September, along with the question of the timing of 26 the presidential primaries and the possibility of separating the 27 presidential primary from the primary for nominations to other 28 public offices which study shall analyze and estimate the costs 29 to the State and county governments to make the change, as well 30 as the impact such a change could have on reducing election 19990S0098R1329 - 2 -
1 campaigning and campaign finance costs; and be it further 2 RESOLVED, That the [Joint State Government Commission] task 3 force report its findings, recommendations and proposed 4 legislation to the General Assembly no later than September 1, 5 [1999] 2000. H31L82DMS/19990S0098R1329 - 3 -