1.  LEGISLATIVE REFORM

• ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE TAXPAYERS:

• Require an independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of the General Assembly for waste, fraud and mismanagement.

• CITIZEN INCLUSION IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS:

• Mandate that the "PA Sunshine Law" apply uniformly to all legislative sessions, meetings and hearings conducted by State Government, granting appropriate access to the public and media.
• Disallow passage of any legislation that has not strictly met the procedural rigor detailed in Sections 1-4, Article III, of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

• ENACT STRICT LOBBYING REFORM:

• Enact a five-year waiting period for former legislators and cabinet officials to become lobbyists.
• Eliminate gifts to public officials from lobbyists for any entity desiring business with the Commonwealth.
• Require legislators to abstain from voting on any legislation that could benefit their personal or business interests.

2.  POLITICAL REFORM

• RESTORING THE CONCEPT OF A CITIZEN LEGISLATURE:

• Enact a Constitutional Amendment limiting the number of years Senators and Representatives can serve to 12 years in each legislative body.
• Enact term limits on committee chairmanships and leadership positions.

• OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT:

• Will post the senator's votes within 24 hours of each session day.

• ENDING TAXPAYER SUBSIDIZED INCUMBENT PROTECTION:

• Rein in taxpayer subsidized newsletters and public service announcements, which are tools for reelection and further the status quo in Harrisburg.

3.  TAXATION AND SPENDING REFORM

• STOP THE SPENDING SPREE IN HARRISBURG:

• Implement the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) to strictly limit increases in state spending to the concurrent rates of inflation and population growth.
• Eliminate unfunded mandates to the counties, municipalities and school districts in the Commonwealth, which shift the tax increases to these taxing bodies.
• Limit the ability of politicians to distribute tax dollars to special interests.

• AN END TO BURDENING THE TAXPAYER:

• Require a three-fifths majority to pass a tax increase.
• Work to eliminate property taxation.
• Eliminate "nuisance taxes."

4.  LEGAL AND LABOR LAW REFORM

• END THE JACKPOT JUSTICE SYSTEM:

• Pass a constitutional amendment giving the General Assembly broader authority to implement commonsense legal reform.
• Reform lawsuit abuse by ending unlimited jury awards and enforcing a "loser pays" rule.

• PROMOTE WORKERS' FREEDOM:

• End forced unionism in Pennsylvania, giving people the freedom to choose whether or not they want to join a union.

I hereby pledge my name to this Promise to Pennsylvania.

Senator Mike Folmer