| Legislative Spending Reports
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House releases expenses
For the first time in recent history, receipts for some state House expenses were made available Friday to the public. (2002-04-27) Receipts to be revealed
The state House has approved a policy requiring that receipts for expenditures by leaders and rank-and-file members be available for public review. (2002-01-31) House fails to pass public record resolution
A proposed change in the House rules to make legislators' receipts public record won the support of the chamber's top leaders, but that wasn't enough for House approval before lawmakers went home for the holidays. (2001-12-14) Deluca releases report
More than half of southwestern Pennsylvania's 38 House members have made public their categorized, summary expense reports from November 2000. (2001-12-09) Lawmakers reveal spending
Nineteen state House members from southwestern Pennsylvania have voluntarily released copies of their categorized summary expense reports, which the House keeps closed to the public. (2001-11-25) Receipt policy may change
Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, unlike their counterparts in neighboring states, are not required to show the public receipts for how they spend state money. (2001-11-25) More legislators open files
In response to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review request, 17 state House members have released a report that shows what they spent last year - information typically closed to the public. (2001-11-04) Metcalfe lists expenses after constituent request
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe of Butler County said he released information showing his spending for last year because two constituents who were following the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review series requested it. (2001-11-04) Expense-disclosure plan gains support
State Rep. Tom Stevenson, a Mt. Lebanon Republican, said Thursday he will recommend to House GOP leaders that they proceed with a proposal to make all House expenses public record. (2001-10-26) Lawmakers mull plan to publicize information
For the first time, state House leaders are considering making receipts for lawmakers' expenses open to the public. (2001-10-25)
Lawmakers unlikely to budge on records
With Pennsylvania facing a potential budget shortfall next year, lawmakers should reassess restrictions on the public's access to how legislators spend tax money, a prominent industry official said.
(October 14, 2001)
More lawmakers disclose spending
Twelve out of 38 state House members from western Pennsylvania have now made public summary expense reports that the House won't let the public see.
(October 7, 2001)
Lawmakers release expense accounts
Two additional state House members from the Pittsburgh area have made public their year-end Comptroller's report, showing how they spent expense account money in 2000.
(September 23, 2001)
Lawmakers' spending kept secret
Most state representatives from western Pennsylvania refused to provide a report that shows more detail about their spending than the public gets to see.
Published on Sunday, September 16, 2001
State lawmakers' travel expenses growing sky-high
Five state House members from western Pennsylvania racked up nearly $60,000 in airfare flying mostly back and forth from Harrisburg, even though each leased a car year-round at taxpayers' expense.
Published on Sunday, September 9, 2001
Representatives reaping benefits
Rep. Frank Pistella, a Bloomfield Democrat, has the cheapest ride to the Capitol.
Published on Sunday, September 9, 2001
Lawmakers' spending kept secret from public
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has a secret database showing how lawmakers spend tax money, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has learned.
Published on Sunday, August 12, 2001
Few lawmakers open about spending
While most House members from western Pennsylvania say they cannot - or will not - provide receipts for how they spend state tax money, a handful of legislators have done so.
Published on Sunday, August 12, 2001
Lawmakers' bills average $56,000
Pennsylvania legislators virtually get blank checks to spend as they please to run their district offices, travel and dine, a sixth-month examination by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has found.
Published on Sunday, July 22, 2001
Receipts hard to get
When asked, most western Pennsylvania House members would not disclose their expense account spending or said they did not have the records.
Published on Sunday, July 22, 2001
Unspecified House expenditures come under fire
House Minority Leader Bill DeWeese spent more than $1,000 in state money last year at the Maverick, a swank steakhouse in Harrisburg where prices for dinner typically run about $40.
Published on Sunday, July 22, 2001
| About the project
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The $2.8 million spent by 50 state lawmakers from western Pennsylvania last year is an estimate based on a sixth-month examination of House and Senate records.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review requested all expenses of the House and Senate members for travel, district offices, per diems, car leases, postage, professional conferences, flags, flowers and other incidental expenses. The expenses do not include salaries for district office employees.
The House and Senate clerks' offices provided computer printouts of members' expenses. The Trib then entered those expenses into a database that eventually comprised 20,000 records.
Those records, however, do not necessarily represent the precise amount that legislators spent. Because of the layers of accounts for legislative spending, arriving at a precise total is impossible.
Other factors make an exact figure elusive:
Two special leadership accounts - for Republicans and Democrats - are sometimes used to help pay expenses of rank-and-file lawmakers, such as utility bills and office rent. Those expenses aren't always clearly marked.
The Democratic leadership account, under the control of Minority Leader Bill DeWeese, made payments for several legislators - but none apparently from Allegheny County.
When possible, expenses clearly identified as staff travel were deleted. The aim was to calculate the amount spent by the legislator to travel, run offices and buy discretionary items.
Brad Bumsted can be reached at bbumsted@tribweb.com or (717) 787-1405.
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