In the wake of the Bonusgate arrests, a senior state Senate Republican has called on Gov. Ed Rendell to convene a special legislative session on government reform. And Rendell says he’s up for it — if lawmakers are.

Last week, state Attorney General Tom Corbett announced charges against one current and one former lawmaker and 10 current and former legislative employees.

All 12 are or were affiliated with the House Democratic caucus and are accused of participating in a culture that used public money to further political and, in some cases, personal gains. Each faces charges that include at least one count of theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest.

The state employees helped with political campaigns and were given tax-dollar bonuses for their efforts, Corbett alleges. Spending state tax dollars on political campaigns is illegal.

“To paraphrase the famous line from the movie ‘Apollo 13,’ Pennsylvania, we have a problem,” Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin, chairman of the Senate State Government Committee, said Wednesday. “It is a problem of arrogance. It is a problem of greed. It is a problem of corruption. And most of all, it is a problem of a system that encourages and protects all three.”

In a later statement, Rendell said he’d “welcome a petition from the Legislature for a special session to address ethics and reform.”
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