State Sen. Jane Orie wants assurances that a merger of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh wouldn't saddle suburban taxpayers with the city's debts before lawmakers draft legislation to permit the consolidation, her chief counsel said Wednesday. In a prepared statement, Orie, R- McCandless, called for public hearings and "statutory preconditions to protect the residents of both the city and the county." She was not available for further comment. "What she's trying to do is make sure the legislative process starts out taking into account these issues," Derr said.