And goodness and light shall shine throughout the land.
It’s nice to see that Republicans and Democrats in the General Assembly can agree on something. House Republican Majority Leader Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, and House Democratic Minority Leader David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, unveiled the outlines of their ethics reform plan in an op-ed published in the Times-Dispatch this morning. They will unveil details in a press conference later today. Key elements include:
- A $250 cap on the value of gifts to elected officials.
- Establishment of a State Ethics Advisory Commission.
- Twice-annual financial disclosure.
- Clarification of terms and greater specificity in disclosure.
- Mandatory ethics training for elected officials.
These measures amount to “no brainer” ethics reform that no one could disagree with. With the support of senior leaders of both parties, these measures assuredly will sail through the House. I find it unimaginable that the Senate will find anything to object to.
The interesting question is what changes will be enacted in addition to these. For example, Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, has submitted bills calling for the elimination of the General Assembly’s exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act, capping “super-sized” campaign contributions to $20,000 per donor per candidate, and removing incentives for private law firms to over-bill the state when representing the state in a public matter. Those will prove more controversial — fodder for the punditocracy.
— JAB
