You can't legislate integrity and the only people who can restore confidence in the Legislature are its 253 members, but a coalition of 10 good-government groups is trying.

They've put together a reform agenda that includes many sound proposals and that, if enacted, would signal the well-documented, much-needed change of heart in Harrisburg.

In addition to their joint list, the members -- including Democracy RisingPA, Common Cause, Rock the Capital, the League of Women Voters, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches and the Commonwealth Foundation -- also have individual goals that are not shared by all.

To accomplish its desires, the coalition has asked for a special session of the Legislature on public integrity. We'll take the reforms, but we agree with Gov. Ed Rendell that a special session is not necessary.

The argument often is made that special sessions are a way to draw attention to a topic. But these reforms deserve more than attention; they need results.

Special sessions are misunderstood. Since 1967, the Legislature has had eight special sessions on specific topics. The one on crime called by Gov. Tom Ridge in 1995 was the most successful, resulting in 37 statutes, in part because his fellow Republicans controlled the Legislature. Some special sessions have produced no laws at all.

Special-session work is conducted during regular sessions. The Senate might debate, say, a budget item, gavel that session closed, then immediately gavel open the special session. Nothing would stop the reform agenda from being tackled during regular session.

Regardless of which session is used, here are the reforms we'd like to see:

• A modern open records law that gives citizens access to information about how government officials are working and spending public funds.

• A ban on lame-duck sessions, held between the November general election and the start of the next two-year legislative cycle, since they allow departing legislators who aren't accountable to participate in important votes.

• Limits on campaign donations and easy access to such reports.

• An independent, nonpartisan panel to redraw legislative district boundaries, thereby removing politics.

• The power of initiative and referendum so citizens can put proposals before lawmakers or on the ballot.

• A smaller Legislature.

• A merit system to choose judges.

Pennsylvanians are tired of hearing excuses for why none of this can happen here. It's time for legislators to make the changes that their constituents demand. When they do, they will finally restore integrity to state government.