HARRISBURG -- State Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Moon, has been interested in downsizing the 253-member Pennsylvania Legislature since 1974, when he was a junior in high school.

That's when a state legislator came to visit his class and the teacher said each student had to ask him a question, he told a House committee yesterday.

"I asked my father what I should ask, and he said, 'Ask him why we have more state senators and representatives than California,'" which has far more people.

"The response I received was that Pennsylvania residents receive better service" from their legislators, he said.

Mr. Mustio isn't sure he's buying that answer. He thinks that with the huge improvements in computers, e-mail and other office technology over the past 15 years, the state House could operate with 161 members (and their staffs) instead of its current 203, and the Senate could trim to 40 from the current 50.

That's about a 20 percent reduction, which is less than the 40 percent cut he and another Moon Republican, Sen. John Pippy, were pushing for last year.

Pennsylvania, with 12 million people, has the largest full-time state Legislature. Only New Hampshire, with 424, has more members, but they only meet a few weeks a year.

California, with 36 million people, has 120 legislators (40 senators and 80 representatives), according to the National Conference on State Legislatures; Texas, with 22 million people, has 181 legislators; New York, with 19 million people, has 212; Florida, with almost 18 million, has 160; Illinois, with 12 million, has 177; Ohio, with 11 million, has 132; and Michigan, with 10 million, has 148 legislators.

The House State Government Committee, which is controlled by Democrats, waited nearly 600 days to hold a hearing on the Mustio proposal, House Bill 55. It isn't known when, or if, the committee will vote on the idea, because House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese of Waynesburg is opposed to a smaller Legislature.

He said he fears it will especially hurt rural and less-populated areas of the state, which would be lumped together in much larger geographic areas if the number of House members is cut to 161. Rep. Matthew Baker, R-Tioga, also was concerned about a falloff in rural political clout.

Some critics said that if the number of legislators is reduced, the size of each remaining lawmaker's staff would have to be increased to keep up with demands from a larger number of constituents. But Mr. Mustio's plan also would reduce the budget for the General Assembly by 20 percent. This year's budget is $332 million, so a 20 percent cut would chop it by $66 million. He said current staffs, with modern technology, can handle an increased workload.

The reduction plan also faces strong opposition because incumbent lawmakers would be cutting their own jobs and those of their colleagues. Gov. Ed Rendell said he could go along with having fewer legislators, but thinks that enacting campaign finance limits and having a citizens' group redraw the legislative district lines in 2011 are more important reform measures.