HARRISBURG — The state House on Monday voted against a proposal to establish a commission to consider changes to the state constitution and against forcing a vote on a bill to shrink the size of the Legislature.

The chamber, on an 83-118 vote, rejected legislation that would have set up a 15-member commission to suggest potential amendments and recommend whether to convene a constitutional convention.

The House then defeated by a 65-136 vote a rarely used "discharge" resolution that would have bypassed the State Government Committee and brought directly to the House floor a bill to cut the General Assembly's 253-member size by one-fifth.

Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia, called the constitutional convention study long overdue.

"We are at a time in the history of this state, 40 years since we did the convention back in 1967, to have this kind of conversation," Evans said. "I don't believe any longer that we can avoid having this discussion."

Under Evans' bill, five members of the commission would be appointed by each chamber of the General Assembly and another five by the governor. Opponents said a competing bill would allow for greater input from the public at large.

"This is an insider's approach to reforming state government through amending the constitution, versus an outsider's approach," said Rep. Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny.

During the debate, Rep. Bud George, D-Clearfield, urged members to "get along better," then asked Speaker Dennis O'Brien, R-Philadelphia, to quiet members.

"If they don't shut the hell up, I'm going to ask you to shut them up," he said. Moments later, he said: "I take deference to what you said, Mr. Speaker, and I resign right now."

George, a state lawmaker since 1974 with a fiery oratorical style, later apologized to O'Brien. He said afterward that he misunderstood the words O'Brien used in trying to quiet the membership.

The maneuver to force a vote on a bill to shrink the Legislature, sponsored by Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Allegheny, has not been successfully executed in at least 40 years, Mustio said.

His legislation would reduce the House from 203 to 161 members after the 2010 census and cut the size of the Senate from 50 to 40 members. It also would reduce their operating budgets by 20 percent.

Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, said the State Government Committee she chairs would conduct hearings on the bill and give it a vote.