The public should welcome a step taken last Monday toward cleaning up corruption in Harrisburg. State Reps. Curt Schroeder, R-Chester, and Eugene DePasquale, D-York, introduced legislation to create a public integrity commission whose task would be to root out corruption.

But while the effort is laudable, unfortunately it does not go far enough.

What's really needed is formation of a number of grand juries to collect testimony from current and former staffers of all sitting lawmakers. The aim of those panels would be to collect evidence as to which lawmakers required their staffers to carry out political tasks illegally while on state time.

That illegal practice is part of what brought about the still-ongoing investigation that has been dubbed Bonusgate. Allegations of illegal use of employees for political purposes are why state Sen. Jane Orie, R-40th, was held for court on July 21 and why state Rep. William DeWeese, D-Greene, was tabbed for the same fate at a preliminary hearing last Monday.

DeWeese is charged with six criminal counts, including theft, conflict of interest and conspiracy.

To some Pennsylvania residents, it might seem an overreaction to question the staffers of all lawmakers because of what has been uncovered so far in the probes of a handful of legislators, including former state Rep. Mike Veon of Beaver County, who was jailed in June after his conviction on 14 counts of theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest.

However, a statement by DeWeese to grand jurors last December in which he said that his state-paid aides regularly campaigned during business hours in state offices provides jusitification for such an extensive probe.

When members of the grand jury asked him whether he was concerned that political work was being done when the staffers should have been doing state business, he replied that that "was part of the political culture on Capitol Hill."

That statement indicates that not only some top representatives and senators have put their employees to work in the wrong way, but that the illegal practice might extend to some lower-seniority lawmakers.

If Pennsylvania government really is going to be cleaned up, it's time to find out just how widespread the illegal activity has been — regardless of costs.

State residents undoubtedly hope that what's happened — or is happening — to people like Veon, DeWeese and Orie might be a deterrent to illegal activity. But until a comprehensive grand juries probe is carried out, it's logical to ponder how many elected officials now serving the people of the commonwealth should be behind bars rather than be considering legislation in the House and Senate chambers.

Indeed, the grand juries in question should be established, and immunity from prosecution should be accorded to the staffers called to testify.

The goal should be to make Pennsylvania the state with the least governmental corruption, not one that is vying for first place in that dubious category.

Pennsylvania must go above and beyond what most people might think is necessary to achieve that end.

The plan offered by Schroeder and DePasquale, while maybe workable for the future, doesn't address the situation that must be addressed now.