Even though state lawmakers will be returning to Harrisburg for some more work before their official summer recess, this summer promises to be interesting, to say the least, for members of the legislature.

Last summer, just hours before leaving the state capital for their summer recess, lawmakers saved their most important action for the last minute. Gathering for a 2 a.m. vote on July 7, lawmakers awarded themselves a pay raise of 11 percent to 54 percent. When the public learned what lawmakers had done under cover of darkness and with no advance warning or public discussion, the outrage began to spread across the state.

Assuming the public outrage would be short-lived, as it always seemed to have been in the past, lawmakers quickly left Harrisburg and tried to maintain a low profile until the storm passed.

But a funny thing happened last summer; the storm didn't pass. In fact, it only intensified as voters learned more about the secretive process that produced the pay-raise package — and the bogus "unvouchered expenses" that would allow lawmakers to boost their pay immediately, rather than wait until after the next election, as the state constitution requires.

Now, the storm that began last summer continues to gain strength, as evidenced by two historic elections. In November 2005, the first election following the pay-raise scandal, voters rejected one sitting Supreme Court justice up for a retention vote and barely returned the other judge up for a retention vote. Between the end of last year and this month's primary election, some 30 incumbents announced they would not seek re-election, voluntarily stepping down rather than risking rejection by voters. Then, earlier this month, primary voters across the state defeated 17 incumbents, including two powerful Senate leaders.

These historic developments have set the stage for more change in Harrisburg by way of November's general election. And, while it might be too late for some incumbents who have offended the voters with their arrogance and self-serving actions, some lawmakers will take up the agenda of reform being pushed by numerous groups wanting to change the culture in Harrisburg.

Presented as a "Roadmap to Reform," the list includes lobbyist control and reporting, an end to the November lame-duck session, requiring a significant waiting period between when a bill is amended and when a final vote is taken, budgeting money for a constitutional convention to address more areas of reform, creating a non-political agency to redraw legislative districts and eliminate gerrymandered districts that have been created to protect incumbents and minimize competitive races.

The groups supporting these and other changes cover the political spectrum and include Common Cause Pennsylvania, League of Women Voters, Commonwealth Foundation, Democracy Rising PA, Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania, PennsylvaniaCouncil of Churches, Rock the Capital and others.

Bringing reform to Harrisburg has become a uniting, non-partisan issue. Anti-incumbency is an issue on which there is agreement among most Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

The arrogant, self-serving behavior and lack of accountability or concern for the public displayed by some Harrisburg lawmakers offends just about every Pennsylvanian who has been paying attention for the past 11 months.

Republicans and Democrats stepped forward to defeat a record number of incumbents in the May primaries. Independents will join the anti-incumbent movement in November to help bring change to what Tim Potts, a former legislative staffer and current head of Democracy Rising, called "the most corrupt legislature in America."

The next five months will be a time for voters to remain focused on purging Harrisburg of more entrenched lawmakers, and for lawmakers themselves to decide to join the movement for reform or be run over by it.