Yesterday the Senate Rules and Administration Committee held a hearing to receive testimony on S. 1487, the Ballot Integrity Act. So what's good about the bill? It includes a requirement for DRE voting machines to have a voter verified paper trail. In the event of a recount, the paper trail is considered to be the official ballot. What's bad about the bill? It doesn't require DRE's to have voter verified paper records until 2010 - two full years after the next Presidential and Congressional election.

Pennsylvania's State Legislature is taking positive steps to reform campaign finance, modify its internal rules, and expand Pennsylvania's Right-To-Know Law. Unfortunately, the Indiana Gazette Online reports that floor votes and real changes on these reform issues have been moving along at a frustratingly slow pace for months.

One of the major reforms proposed involves modifying the current Right-To-Know Law so that citizens can have access to records covering more than just accounts, contracts, minutes, or orders and decisions. If it passes, the extended Right-to-Know Law will be a significant step towards a more open political system in Pennsylvania, which is lagging far behind other states in allowing public access to government records.