Two things going on here. 1) I think this open government bill has a chance of passing in the Senate this year because the House looks ready to shame them into it and 2) Drew Volturo is the new Communications Director for the House Majority Caucus which means the Dems messaging effort is going to be awesome – but the Delaware State News is going to suck.
open, accountable government
bills filed in house
FOIA, lobbying bills among early legislation filed
DOVER – After campaigning last year on promoting good government, House members have wasted little time in filing legislation aimed at making the General Assembly more open and accountable to the public.
House Bill 1, sponsored by House Speaker-elect Rep. Robert F. Gilligan, D-Sherwood Park, would place the General Assembly under the state’s Freedom of Information Act as a public body, subjecting the legislature to the state’s open meeting laws. Under HB 1, the public would be granted access to General Assembly meetings, except for party caucuses. The public also would have access to the General Assembly’s records. Current exceptions in the state FOIA law for public bodies and records would apply to the legislature.
“Many of our members ran on a platform of open government, and it is something we in the House pushed for throughout the last session,” Speaker-elect Gilligan said. “The public has been loud and clear on this issue – they want legislators who support open government, and they want us to bring open government to the Delaware General Assembly. Now is the time to take those steps.”
Another bill filed this week, House Bill 27, would prohibit state legislators from lobbying for one year after they leave office. Violating the proposed law would be an unclassified misdemeanor. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, more than half of the states have some form of restriction. At least 16 states have a one-year restriction for legislators, while six states have a two-year waiting period. Surrounding states New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia all have one-year restrictions.
HB27’s sponsor, Rep. John A. Kowalko, D-Newark South, said the bill would help instill public confidence in legislators and eliminate any misconceptions about their actions while in office. Rep. Kowalko said a one-year restriction would not infringe on outgoing lawmakers’ ability to making a living. About 10 former Delaware lawmakers are registered lobbyists in the state.
“This is a natural extension of the Democratic caucus’ message, bringing fair and accountable government to the people of Delaware,” Rep. Kowalko said. “We want to ensure that legislators are not looking for a golden parachute and we want the public to maintain confidence in the decisions we make while in office.”