HARRISBURG -- A coalition of government reform groups wants Gov. Ed Rendell to call a special session of the Legislature to act on what it calls "integrity issues," such as campaign finance limits, reducing the size of the Legislature, imposing term limits for legislators, banning lobbyists from taking lawmakers to dinner and giving them gifts, and ending lame-duck sessions in November.

"Today is Day 921 since the pay raise of July 2005, and our government has done virtually nothing in law or [changes to the] constitution to improve integrity and prevent more of the scandals on parade that we have seen since the pay raise," complained Tim Potts, co-founder of Democracy Rising PA.

League of Women Voters official Bonita Hoke called for changing the way legislative districts are redrawn after each 10-year census is completed.

"We need [impartial] redistricting reform to end the kind of bipartisan, incumbent-protective gerrymandering that describes the current map [of districts] drawn in 2001," she said.

Other groups joining them included PA Clean Sweep, the Commonwealth Foundation, Common Cause/Pennsylvania, Taxpayers and Ratepayers United, and Rock the Capital.

They urged Mr. Rendell to call a special session this year to give people more confidence in state government, which has been rocked in the past three years by controversy over legislative pay raises, investigations into large bonuses for campaign work, the indictment of state Sen. Vincent Fumo on 139 public corruption charges and the arrest of former Rep. Frank LaGrotta for hiring relatives as ghost employees.

Mr. Rendell has called special sessions in the past two years on issues such as property taxes and energy, with limited success.

Russ Diamond of PA Clean Sweep suggested the special session on integrity be held during the summer, when the Legislature isn't in regular session, on issues like taxes, the budget, transportation and the environment. Mr. Potts said the special session could perhaps be held on Thursdays and Fridays, when legislators aren't normally in session.

Rendell aide Chuck Ardo said the governor has publicly supported a smaller Legislature, term limits for lawmakers and other reforms, but at this point sees no need to call a special session.