In the aftermath of the scandal surrounding former super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff's guilty plea to charges of fraud, conspiracy to bribe public officials and other crimes, lawmakers in numerous states across the U.S. are working to tighten their own laws regulating lobbyists.

But in Pennsylvania, unlike 49 other states, there are no existing lobbyist law to tighten. It now appears that that finally might change — and that Pennsylvania might shed the dubious distinction as the only state with almost an "anything goes, and nobody needs to know" policy toward lobbyists and lawmakers.

Public pressure, possibly boosted by increased public scrutiny of the state Capitol brought on by the pay-raise scandal, appears to be having an impact in Harrisburg.

Although the state Senate passed a lobby reform bill nine months ago, the House has done nothing — until last week when House Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, said he would appoint a commission to provide guidance on crafting an effective lobbyist regulation and reporting law.

Public optimism that Pennsylvania might finally join 49 other states in regulating lobbying activities and mandating expenditure reporting should be tempered by the fact that until recently Perzel argued that nobody cared about lobbyist disclosure — except the media — and therefore no law was needed.

But people do care about lobbying and the potential for abuse or corruption. A 2005 opinion poll by the Pennsylvania Economy League shows that 87 percent of state residents expect public disclosure of lobbyist activities, and 72 percent want tight restrictions on lobbyist gift-giving to public officials.

With the Senate supporting a lobbyist law for a year and Perzel's recent actions shining a spotlight on his plan to craft an effective bill, lobbyist reporting and regulation might finally come to Pennsylvania. An earlier attempt was struck down by the state Supreme Court in 2002 because of provisions that regulated lobbyists who also were lawyers.

A recent editorial in the Philadelphia Daily News compared the state's lobbying environment to that in the nation's capital, saying Washington's scandals "are nothing compared to the cesspool of politics and money in Harrisburg. For starters, there is no regulation of lobbyists in the state capital. Lobbyists do not have to register, as they do in Washington, nor must they report their activities or disclose how they are spending their money."

During normal times in Harrisburg, the public should know who is spending money or providing meals, trips or other gifts to lawmakers. The impending arrival of slot machine gambling in the state has fueled a small tidal wave of spending and influence-seeking that only heightens the need for more transparency in Harrisburg — on how much money is being spent, by what interests and on which lawmakers or other public officials.

With 49 other states already having lobbyist regulation and reporting laws on the books, Perzel and the other political leaders in Harrisburg don't have to reinvent the wheel. And now that other states are revisiting lobby-reform legislation to tighten up and sharpen their lobbying-related laws, Pennsylvania can benefit by adopting the best and most-effective measures found in other states.

There is no excuse for Pennsylvania to remain a black hole when it comes to regulating and reporting lobbying activity. Harrisburg might not be much worse than that other state capitals — or it might not be much better — but without effective regulations and reporting requirements there is no way of knowing. With an estimated $200 million a year being spent to influence state officials, the public has a right to know — and follow the money.

By appointing a panel of experts to help write a lobbyist disclosure law, Perzel has finally set overdue lobbyist regulation in motion. He should be expected to follow through with a tough and comprehensive law that the legislature can approve and send to Gov. Ed Rendell — by June as he promised.

— J.L.W.III