State lawmakers ponder scrapping car leases for members, itemizing per diems

The Time-Tribune reports:

The House started a bipartisan effort Wednesday to curb some lawmaker perks and require documentation to support per diem expenses, thus addressing a volatile issue in many legislative races last year.

The proposed changes reflect an effort to ease criticism about the Pennsylvania Legislature being among the nation's most expensive....

The Bipartisan Management Committee composed of five legislative leaders met behind closed doors to fashion an agreement to have members make a 1 percent co-pay for the first time toward their health insurance benefits, put restrictions on per diems for meals and lodging and phase out car leases from the state-owned vehicle fleet.

Guess what came out of it?

Less than 24 hours after newly sworn-in House leaders proclaimed a rebirth of bipartisan cooperation in the Capitol, party differences stalled a substantive legislative-reform initiative....

Bill Patton, spokesman for House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, said some members had questioned whether scrapping car leases for mileage would save money.