The amazing shrinking Legislature

Some state lawmakers have returned to town amid their summer break to talk about plans to put some of them out of work.

The House State Government Committee will be reviewing six plans to reduce the size of the Legislature, from the current 253 members down to as few as 153 in a plan from House Speaker Sam Smith.

Those plans earned a thumbs-up from Gov. Tom Corbett, when asked about it by the Tribune-Review: "(If) we get that on the ballot, I'd be very surprised if it didn't pass," Corbett said.

The proposed changes would take a constitutional amendment, meaning a successful proposal would need to pass the General Assembly during two consecutive sessions and then be approved by state voters.

Pennsylvania is the second-largest legislative body, trailing behind only California, and is often criticized as being one of the costliest as well.