When I was a student at Summit Hill High School, my math teacher urged us to “shoot for the stars.” Even if we didn’t quite get there, she said, we were sure to pick up some stardust along the way.

State Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-Schuylkill/Carbon, took a massive shot at the stars, came up short, but now, after having gathered some valuable stardust, he is going to give it another shot, except this time he is handing over the rocket to get there to Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Allegheny.

A last-minute political maneuver in 2018 torpedoed Knowles’ Pennsylvania Legislature Reduction Bill when the State Senate, which had previously gone along with reducing the number of legislators in the House of Representatives from 203 to 151, amended the bill to reduce the number of state senators from 50 to 38.

Three Republicans joined 14 Democrats on the House Rules Committee to amend Knowles’ original bill to include the Senate reduction, which turned out to be the poison pill that doomed the legislation, because there was little support in the Senate for a reduction in its number, although most senators were willing to go along with the reduction in the House.

Pennsylvania has the most full-time legislators in the nation, although New Hampshire has about 400 part-time legislators.

A dejected Knowles told me late last year that he did not know whether he had the “fire in the belly” to lead the charge in the new legislative session that began in January.

Despite coming so close — the closest the General Assembly had ever come in reducing its numbers — everything reset at the start of the year concurrent with the new session. “We start from scratch,” Knowles said.

Knowles says that he has renewed energy about the prospects of the effort now that Gaydos, a freshman legislator who campaigned on the issue in 2018, is willing to become the prime sponsor. Knowles described himself as the number two person and believes he complements Gaydos in a number of important ways.

She is in her first term; he is seasoned (a legislator since 2009); she is from western Pennsylvania; he resides in eastern Pennsylvania; she represents a suburban area of Allegheny County; he represents a rural area of parts of three counties (including Berks); she’s female; he’s male.

Gaydos told me that she is doing extensive research before introducing the bill.

“I want to understand what has gone on before and what we need to do to be able to get across the finish line this time,” she said. She also said that states with more population than Pennsylvania have fewer legislators.

The goal is to get the measure on the ballot as a constitutional amendment. The process is difficult, because it requires passage by the General Assembly during two consecutive sessions followed by a vote of the electorate.

Knowles’ bill was approved during the 2015-16 session but the failure occurred during the succeeding session. Close, but no cigar. “It takes a lot of courage to vote to possibly eliminate your job,” he said. When I asked him why legislators would even vote for a proposal such as this, Knowles said “because it’s the right thing to do.”

Of course, if the proposal goes to the voters, they will approve it in a heartbeat. “Oh my gosh, yes,” Knowles said.

The first step for Gaydos is to get as many co-sponsors as she can. She sent out a memo on Sept. 6 to her 202 colleagues in the House inviting their participation. Knowles is hopeful that some powerful Democrats might be among those who come forward.

“In an effort to produce savings, increase efficiency and to promote public confidence in our institution, please join me in sponsoring this legislation,” Gaydos said in her memo.

Reducing the number of House members by 52 would save an estimated $15 million, Knowles said, but he insists that saving money is not the main reason for the legislation. He agrees with Gaydos.

“The House is too big, unwieldy,” Knowles said. A smaller body would help eliminate the current “chaos.” It would make for more effective discussions and easier to reach consensus.

There is some opposition within the House itself. Aside from the practical matter of eliminating their own jobs, some House members are concerned that newer, enlarged districts would not allow them to be as in touch with their constituents. Under the plan, the average population of a House district would be about 84,000, compared to the present 63,000.

Knowles called this argument “hogwash.” With today’s technological advances in communication, legislators have all sorts of improved contact alternatives with constituents. “It’s a much different world than it was 25 years ago,” he said.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com