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When I’m Attorney General, there will be no more using
campaign contributions for personal expenses, like our current
Governor did for his spouse, and I will make sure we expand public
access to government records by honoring and expanding the scope
of FOIA requests.
As Attorney General, I will work tirelessly to clean up the mess
in Richmond, to restore the public trust and press for new laws that
hold elected officials accountable for their actions. It’s time to enforce
ethics laws that root out corruption and level the playing field for all
of Virginia’s businesses.
Mark Herring is a senator representing the 33rd district of Virginia.
He is the Democratic candidate for Attorney General.
Herring
from page 7
Virginia ethics
laws should be
the floor not
the ceiling
By Senator R. Creigh Deeds
For 22 years, I have travelled from
bucolic Bath County to Richmond every January to meet for a hectic
legislative session during which thousands of bills are considered.
With few exceptions, the men and women with whom I have served
have been hard-working and conscientious civil servants. We have
functioned under minimal campaign finance and ethics laws. A former
colleague professed that if you could not have dinner with a lobbyist and
vote against him or her the following day, then you have no business
being in Richmond. The people I was surrounded by were primarily
interested in serving their constituents and doing what is right for the
Commonwealth. We operated with the knowledge that our laws were
the floor, not the ceiling, when it comes to ethics.
In recent years, the tone has changed to a large extent. Legislators
have become more polarized and resistant to compromise. The sense
of camaraderie is dissipating. The focus seems to have shifted.Within
the past four years, our historic institution and Capitol grounds have
been plagued by the scandal involving a former member of the House
of Delegates and now the swirling controversy surrounding the
Governor. Perhaps these are isolated incidents rather than a new trend
in our state government. Regardless the incidents highlight flaws in
our system. The integrity of our government must be restored.
When the legislature convenes for the 2014 General Assembly
Session, it is my hope we can revamp our laws to achieve such things
as improved disclosure, closure of loopholes utilized by some to
exempt gifts to staff and family members, and increased transparency
to the public. If anyone in Richmond sees our ethic laws as the ceiling,
we need to raise the floor.
Creigh Deeds is a Democratic senator representing the 25th district
of Virginia.
Virginia State
Firefighter’s
Association
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FOR THE PEOPLE’S GOOD • INCORPORATED FEBRUARY 14, 1897
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