State Rep. Babette Josephs came to the Capitol in 1985 vowing to be a voice for “people who have no voice.” For years, the Center City liberal waged a lonely fight against the pervading conservatism in the General Assembly.

In 2007, after Democrats took control of the House, Josephs ascended to a powerful new role: chairwoman of the State Government Committee, the panel charged with considering legislation related to government operations.

But Josephs, 67, now finds herself the scourge of the newly energized reform movement.

Reform advocates, their cause rejuvenated with the indictments of 12 Harrisburg insiders in a recent bonus scandal, say Josephs is holding back a wave of change that could restore public faith in the legislature. Among the stalled bills are measures that would post all government staff salaries online and trim the size of the General Assembly.

Josephs, the only female committee chair in the House, defended her handling of legislation, saying that not all of the bills constituted “reform” and that others needed more work.

“Just because somebody or some group says something is reform doesn’t mean it is so,” she said in an interview.
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