The March 24 Butler Eagle editorial "General Assembly shouldn't delay return of surplus money" failed to mention some major reforms that have gone into effect in the Senate under our new Republican leadership team. As Senate Majority Whip, I would like to point them out.

Recently, Senate Republicans unveiled legislation to slash legislative reserves by at least $75 million. The proposal, which I strongly support, would use the savings to bolster the Property Tax Relief Fund.

A recent audit of legislative accounts found that as of June 30, 2006, legislative reserves had grown to about $215 million, according to the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission. Some reserve funds are necessary so that the General Assembly can continue to operate in the event of a protracted budget process, but we believe that the reserve levels have grown too large.

Cutting the legislative surplus to a reasonable level is the right thing to do. Our caucus believes in fiscal restraint, and that includes how we manage our own accounts.

Senate Republican leaders also have called for more thorough audits of legislative accounts going forward. This is just one of a broad range of legislative reforms adopted by the Senate Republican Caucus in recent months.

Others include:

• Limiting session times to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.

• Posting amendments on the Internet before they can be offered on the Senate floor.

• Waiting at least six hours before voting on an amended bill or a conference committee report.

• Posting all roll call votes on the Internet immediately after the votes, always within 24 hours.

n Posting committee votes on bills, resolutions and executive nominations on the Internet within 48 hours.

• Posting the Senate's Legislative Journal — which includes the full text of all floor debates — on the Internet upon Senate approval of the Journal or within 45 days, whichever is earlier.

• Preparing an updated fiscal note if a bill is amended after consideration by the Senate Appropriations Committee, if the amendment has a fiscal impact.

• Ending the practice of giving bonuses to legislative staffers.

• Strengthening the state's Open Records Law by including the legislature's financial records, judicial financial records, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and state-related universities; allowing requests to be submitted by e-mail; and other improvements.

• Broadcasting Senate sessions via streaming video over the Internet.

Senate Republicans are leading the way on government-reform in Pennsylvania. And we will continue to press forward on reforms of all three branches of the state government.