As Pennsylvania legislators come your way this fall, courting your vote in November's election, here's a question you may want to ask them:

Given the scandal involving the four Philadelphia Democratic legislators who were secretly recorded taking cash gifts from a lobbyist, why haven't you passed a law banning the practice?Pennsylvanians were shocked to learn that as long as the legislator doesn't promise anything in return for a gift of cash, and discloses taking more than $250 from any one influence-seeker, it's perfectly legal.When asked, your friendly legislator running for re-election may blow you some smoke, saying "We did something about cash gifts."And it's true, the Senate passed an ethics rule banning its members from taking any gift in the form of cash (including checks and gift cards).However, the ban lasts only until this particular legislature adjourns. There's no guarantee the ban will be renewed next year. And the ban is just an internal Senate rule that doesn't carry the force of law. Nobody will go to prison for breaking it.The Pennsylvania House did something even more lame. The House set a rule banning its members from taking gifts of U.S. currency. Taking other forms of cash gift cards, prepaid debit cards, checks is still OK for your friendly state representative.All of which might prompt you to ask your re-election-seeking legislator: "Why are you allowed to take unlimited amounts of gifts, as long as you disclose them long after the fact?"In response, your legislator may talk about a reform bill that would slash the size of a gift a legislator can take without reporting it. The trigger for reporting would drop to $100.01 for travel and lodging, and $50.01 for other gifts.However, that bill never budged in Harrisburg more than nine months after it was introduced, it is still stuck in its first committee.And in classic Pennsylvania fashion, the "reform" bill would create a new avenue for future abuse. As now written, the proposed "reform" would let legislators take an unlimited number of those gifts under $50 without ever reporting them. A legislator could dine and drink every night on a lobbyist's tab, as long as the bill for any one outing did not exceed $50.If pressed on that point, a legislator running for re-election may say he or she supports plans by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi to pursue a bill next year that bans all gifts from nonfamily members.Setting a clear, easy-to-enforce line no gifts, period is the right standard, but the "We'll do it tomorrow" timing is all too convenient politically. It's like the offer from the Popeye cartoon character Wimpy, who says he'll gladly pay Tuesday for a hamburger today.Pennsylvania legislators had plenty of time to choose to do the right thing, which is ban all gifts and they didn't.You might want to ask your friendly local legislator who's running for re-election to explain that.PennLive.com