For Immediate Release: House of Delegates Candidate Robin Abbott Releases New Plan for Ethics Reform in Richmond

House of Delegates Candidate Abbott Releases New Plan for Ethics Reform in Richmond

For Immediate Release: August 13, 2009     

Newport News VA, - Consumer Rights Advocate and House of Delegates Candidate Robin Abbott held a news conference this morning about her “Initiative for Accountability, Transparency, and Reform,” an ethics-reform plan that would increase accountability and transparency in Virginia state government.
 
“With our economy in crisis and our transportation system broken, Virginians are seeking real solutions to the difficult challenges we face,” said Abbott. “Too often, the insiders’ network in Richmond prevents our leaders from getting results for Virginians. I pledge to fight for the people of Newport News and James City County to make sure we have good jobs, new transportation solutions and a government we can trust.”

Abbot is a working mom and consumer rights advocate who often had to choose between putting food on the table and medical care for her family. She has fought for military families and hard working people against the powerful special interests who took advantage of them.

Abbot’s “Initiative for Accountability, Transparency and Reform,” focuses on toughening conflict of interest standards for state officials and limiting lobbyist and special interest influence on Virginia’s leaders.

A full copy of the initiative is below:

Accountability, Transparency, and Reform Initiative

With our economy in crisis and our transportation system broken, Virginians are seeking real solutions to the difficult challenges we face. But our legislators in Richmond fail to solve these problems year after year because of partisan politics, senseless ideological battles, and an insiders’ network that prevents progress. Too many elected officials in Richmond use their positions of power in inappropriate and unethical ways. And though it may not be illegal, the cozy relationship between some of our legislators and those with a vested interest in state business is certainly suspect.
 
As a working mom who often had to choose between medical care for my children and putting food on the table, I know firsthand the struggles that families are facing in these tough times. As a consumer rights advocate, I have fought for military families who could not stand up to powerful interests themselves. And I am running for the House of Delegates to shake up the way business is done in Richmond so we can create good jobs for the hard-working families of Newport News and James City County.
 
But until we reform the backroom deals, hold our lawmakers accountable for their actions, and insist on transparency, we cannot move Virginia forward. As a Delegate, I pledge to lead the effort to bring much-needed reform to Richmond.
 
Empower the House and Senate Ethics Advisory Panels
Currently, the House and Senate essentially “self-police” themselves, with five-member Ethics Advisory Panels appointed by each body. When a complaint is made, the panels conduct a preliminary investigation of the legislator in question (the proceedings of which may be made public only at his or her request). If a violation is determined to have occurred, the matter is referred to either the full legislative body or the Attorney General’s office, depending on the nature and severity of the infraction. We need to shine some sunlight on this process.

·         The House and Senate panels should be combined into a single General Assembly Ethics Advisory Panel, with an additional member appointed by the Governor.

·         The panel should make all investigations and proceedings public, preferably on a designated page on the General Assembly website. This is a simple, cost-effective way to keep the public informed.

·         On a yearly basis, the Ethics Panel should review all lawmakers’ budget requests and personal financial disclosure forms in order to alert Senators and Delegates to possible conflicts of interest, and publish their findings on the General Assembly web site.

Curtail Lobbyist Influence
If we want to restore the citizens’ trust in their state government, we must curtail the overwhelming influence of the special interests in Richmond. As the law stands now, legislators are allowed to jet off to exotic destinations on a lobbyist’s tab, as long as they report it on their personal finance disclosure forms. If a group has a pressing concern regarding upcoming legislation, they should have that discussion in an office at the General Assembly Building – not in a private jet en route to the Masters Golf Tournament.

·         The General Assembly should prohibit lawmakers from accepting travel, gifts or dinners paid for by registered lobbyists year-round.

·         The General Assembly should prohibit lawmakers from accepting any gifts valued above $100.00 from any person except a member of their family.

·         Virginia should adopt Congress’ two-year “cooling off period” for lawmakers who become lobbyists, in order to curb the revolving door in Richmond.

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Jeremy L. Wallenberg

Communications Director

Friends of Robin Abbott VA-93

11838 Canon Blvd, Ste 100

Newport News, VA  23606