New state House rule should apply to all state vehicles

Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives deserve credit for reducing their perks — a rare step, indeed, for politicians of any stripe. As of Wednesday, Nov. 30, the House will no longer permit its members to lease state-owned vehicles at taxpayers’ expense.

The House rule passed, 191-1, with Rep. Greg Vitali, a Delaware County Democrat, casting the sole dissenting vote. Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R.-Centre, introduced the resolution, but its real champion was Rep. Brad Roae, a Republican from Crawford County, who has proposed ending legislator car leases in every session since 2017.

The change, however, applies only to members of the House: The state Senate has failed, repeatedly, to take action on a measure that would cover its members, as well as other state officials.

The House rule is a good start, but both chambers should, in concert, pass a bill that more substantially culls the state’s vehicle fleet.

Senate Bill 963, introduced by former gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, R.-Franklin, would end state-issued or -leased vehicles for not only members of the House and Senate, but also all state officials and employees, with a broad exception for any personnel whose official duties require a state vehicle for emergency response.

As it stands, the state’s passenger vehicles cost taxpayers about $27.5 million per year, including $6.7 million for fuel and $3.6 million for maintenance and collision costs, according to the Department of General Services, which oversees the fleet. It’s impossible to say how much SB 963 would save taxpayers because the “emergency response” loophole is vague, and the shift to mileage reimbursement would lower its savings.

Time is running out on this session, but Mr. Mastriano should work on a more clearly defined exception and a detailed accounting of the actual savings. If the bill will substantially save money, the Senate should pass it next year.

For many lawmakers like Mr. Roae, mileage reimbursement for trips to the Capitol was a better deal. Driving round-trip from Meadville to Harrisburg for each session week would add up to more than $10,000 at the IRS rate of $0.625 per mile. Taxpayer savings will come mostly from members who live closer to the Capitol.

As of April, 26 members of the state House had taxpayer-funded car leases for up to $650 per month, reports the Chief Clerk of the House. Aside from the cost of the leases, however, taxpayers footed the bill for lawmakers’ behind-the-wheel indiscretions. Famously, former state representative Margo Davidson, D.-Delaware, cost the Commonwealth more than $30,000 in claims and repairs due to several collisions.

House members can take a bow for recognizing the costs of this program outweighed its benefits to the public.