The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Republican activists are pushing party leaders to abolish a rule that allows members of the House of Delegates to defeat bills without leaving any record of how they voted.
Under House rules, when legislators take action on bills in subcommittees, no votes are recorded. The practice has been used by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers over the years to kill bills without a leaving a voting trail.
Leading the effort to change the rule is the group Americans for Prosperity.
"Delegates need to remember who voted them into the office... and that their first job is to report back to us, not to make important decisions behind closed doors," Ben Marchi, the group's state director, said Tuesday.
At a state Republican Party gathering last weekend in Hot Springs, Marchi circulated a petition seeking support for the rule change. He presented those signatures to House GOP leaders this week.
The demand that subcommittee votes be recorded is a perennial issue that will be considered in the 2009 session, said G. Paul Nardo, chief of staff for House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Fredericksburg. But it will be one of the thousands of bills vying for attention, Nardo said.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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transparency please
There's no good reason for these votes to be hidden. The perception that there's something to hide is enough to convince most people that something funny is going on.
To our esteemed elected representatives: If you don't have the fortitude to stand by your decisions in the public square then resign your position and let someone with some backbone take over. You work for us, after all.
Appalling
It is appalling that this is not already in place. Yes, it needs to change. On the city level (at least in Chesapeake anyways) and the Congress, we know how our reps vote, so why does the state GA think it should be the exception?
Time to Open up Vote Records
This change is my #1 priority. Frankly if the Republican Party in Virginia wants to bring back voters, they need to open up the voting records of the GA House for viewing. So far, they are still hiding from the voters. If you hide your votes to kill bills, then know you are doing something wrong and you should really fear facing the voters.
I believe the local VB deligation would welcome this change if not, I believe they will face a challenge in the next election cycle. Open voting is the only method the voters have to judge the performance of their elected officials. And it will be an issue if no change is forthcoming...
This is a change for the better - let's do ot!
This change is long over due. I encourage everyone to contact their representatives in the House and Senate - and the Governor's office - to pass this much needed reform.
Peeky Boo
Wouldn't it be nice if the House of Delegates stoppped playing childish games and really grew up and did our business so that we could choose to re-elect or re-select at the next election based on their real voting record?