Pennsylvania considering cutting the size of its legislature

Interesting story out of Pennsylvania where state leaders are considering trimming the size of its state legislature, one of the largest in the nation.

Currently the legislature in Pennsylvania includes 253 members. A proposal would call for a 20 percent cut.

This is an interesting idea and one that perhaps other states should consider as well. For instance, North Carolina has 170 members of its legislative body. West Virginia has 134.

Another possible area where government could loosen some of the fat is in the reduction of counties. With today’s highway system and availability of transportation, having a large number of counties is really ineffective government. I’m all in favor of combining small counties into larger, regional governments that would ultimately save money and allow government to be more effective.

For instance, the two states that I have lived in, West Virginia and North Carolina, could easily reduce the number of counties. West Virginia has 55 counties, and the counties that comprise the Northern Panhandle could easily be combined into one county. In North Carolina, with its 100 counties, some of the smaller counties in eastern and western North Carolina could be cropped as well.