House Republicans Reject Open Government
By: Lowell
Published On: 1/9/2008 4:30:12 PM
Typical...Republicans want to do business in the dark, where the public can't see it. What's THAT all about, and why do we let them get away with this garbage?
Richmond, VA--- Today, House Republicans rejected calls for open government in the House Rules. On a largely party line vote, House Republicans rejected rules amendments for recording subcommittee votes and the live broadcast of the session.
Delegate Ken Plum introduced a rule that would require subcommittees to record votes and House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong also introduced a rule that would require the House to provide the live broadcast of the session to the public.
Previous efforts to provide the live broadcast of the session have been defeated in the House Rules Committee. The amendment to the rules was defeated on a party line vote today.
"The people of Virginia deserve better than legislating in smoke filled rooms," Delegate Ken Plum said, who offered the subcommittee amendment. "Every vote should be recorded and open to the people of Virginia. It shouldn't matter whether it happens in a subcommittee or on the floor of the House of Delegates."
"It is a shame that House Republicans didn't choose open government," House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong said. "We hope that moving Virginia forward will be the House's top priority over the course of the session."
"Virginia is the birthplace of Democracy and Jefferson's House deserves better than voting behind closed doors," House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran said. "Whether it is last year's debate on abusive driver fees or this year on mental health, the people deserve to know how their representatives conduct their business."
Last session, House Republicans rejected efforts to require recorded subcommittee votes on a party line vote. Since then, Republicans such as former Republican Caucus Chairman Terry Kilgore, Finance Committee chairman Bob Purkey, Tom Rust, and freshmen Delegates Donald Merricks and Brenda Pogge have pledged in a candidate questionnaire to support a rules change that would require recorded subcommittee votes all of whom today opposed the rules change to allow recorded subcommittee votes. (Virginia FREE Candidate Questionnaire, 2007)
###
Check assemblyaccess.com for clips from today's floor debate.
Comments
No surprises here (Silence Dogood - 1/9/2008 4:46:13 PM)
I guess Dave Albo was worried about starring in another of Kenton's YouTube videos.
Well (leftofcenter - 1/9/2008 5:54:21 PM)
well well. Is this really a surprise? While everyone thinks everything is going to be hunky dorey I think not. The rethugs will continue to obstruct Kaine's agenda, the Senate's agenda, the Dem's agenda. Just because we hold the senate by a shoelace, the rethug criminals will continue to run rough shod over the citizenry. Kaine needs to stop singing kum by ya and stand up for us.
Good grief what does it take for the dems to stand up? To go to the press, to hammer over and over and over what these guys are doing to good, hard-working Virginians behind our backs? Keeping everything hidden and in secret? Can no one take notes, go to the press and tell us what goes on behind closed doors? Does no one have a camera phone?
Are our dems going to lay down, run to the corner and cry and let these folks get away with this for another session?
Someone just shoot me now.
Does no one in Richmond know how to fight????
Some do take notes (Teddy - 1/9/2008 10:23:06 PM)
I have been told that the League of Women Voters and/or other interested groups do manage surprisingly often to find out where (and when) the subcommittees meet, and worm their way in and record votes. Of course they cannot always find out the secret location and time of these meetings (often at, say 6:30 or 7 AM?). Where these records are kept and how you can get your hands on them, I do not know. What a way to run a democracy.
Secret (leftofcenter - 1/10/2008 9:52:26 AM)
locations? WTF?????
Yup, they use the little hearing rooms and even the small meeting rooms (Used2Bneutral - 1/10/2008 10:03:43 AM)
This allows them to limit access for fire-code reasons and just practical size of group. Add the 6:30 AM start times to exclude even some members whom may have to drive back to Richmond that morning from constituent meetings in their home areas..... and WE let them get a way with this....
The obvious question (Lowell - 1/10/2008 10:07:45 AM)
Why don't these Republicans WANT the sun to shine on what they're doing? Hmmmmm.
Then maybe it's time for another petition about opening up the process (Used2Bneutral - 1/10/2008 9:57:33 AM)
When the members of the GA saw the huge number of signatures last summer on the ab-user fee petiton it seemed to get their attention. Maybe, just maybe they will be smart enough to realize that a LOT of people do care and do want to know what is going on..... until then they will hide and skulk to accomplish their partisan BS...... and still get re-elected (at least in the past). The already installed and working technology in Richmond, TODAY now allows the constituents potentially more particpation than ever before in history and at little to no additional cost (unless you count watching one of the members screw up or be corrupted as a cost). I gotta believe this trancends party boundaries even.... Just look at the growth of participation on the blogs and legislation "Alert" lists to show this.
How about a constitutional amendment (Lowell - 1/10/2008 9:59:40 AM)
that REQUIRES government to be open, except in very specific cases of national security or where peoples' lives might be in jeopardy?
A great IDEA !!! (Used2Bneutral - 1/10/2008 10:09:21 AM)
But, I doubt the re-thugs will allow this especially with the redistricting coming up in the next few years.... We could name it "The Right to Sun-Light" ammendment..... that might confuse enough of the people to allow it to pass....
The Sunlight Amendment (Lowell - 1/10/2008 10:14:05 AM)
Who could vote against sunlight, except for people like Dave Albo perhaps?
Ha, he will think its for tanning salons (Used2Bneutral - 1/10/2008 10:41:42 AM)
and he can make money off of those some how.....
I (leftofcenter - 1/10/2008 11:10:58 AM)
just wrote my two DEMOCRATIC legislators. Fat lot of good that will do.