PSoTD

Joseph P. Schiaffino is one of the Republican Candidates for State Senate in the 10th District to replace Joe Conti, who is retiring. Mr. Schiaffino kindly agreed to respond to our lobbying regulation questions. Those responses are below:

Question 1: What should be the goals of any lobbying laws or reform in Pennsylvania?

Schiaffino: The goal of any lobbying reform laws should be strict limits on what if anything may be given to legislators, and complete reporting of all contributions to a legislator and/or his campaign.

Question 2: What entity or entities should be responsible for administering these laws?

Schiaffino: The attorney general is the highest law enforcement officer in the state. Enforcement should be the responsibility of his office.

Question 3: Are there any other states that could or should serve as a model for lobbying regulation?

Schiaffino: I know other states have much better lobbying regulations on the books, and I would certainly look to them for ideas on toughening Pennsylvania's laws. We don't have to reinvent the wheel here.

Question 4: What kind of public reporting requirements should be required for lobbying? How much information should a citizen be able to find publicly about the activities of a lobbyist, and how should that information be made available?

Schiaffino: Sunshine laws should be made to apply to all contacts between lobbyists and legislators. They are trying to influence the legislator to do something favorable to them and the public needs to know what is going on, and if it is in the best interests of the citizens and the state.

Question 5: Should lobbyists be required to pay, through registration fees, for all costs involved in providing such registration/regulation/public reporting?

Schiaffino: I would consider an annual or one time registration fee to cover recording and reporting of lobbying activities.

I would say the National GOP is in trouble. Earlier this week I was talking with a somewhat prominent Central Pennsylvania Republican, and heard some words that really surprised me. Basically, he expressed some hope that the Democrats take over at least one house of Congress this year, although he realized there were structural limits (redistricting) that probably prevented it. He considered spending to be worse than when Democrats held power, and that he suspected the GOP was going to have to lose power in order to get back to fiscal conservatism.

Shawn Diggory is a Democrat running for the 160th District in Pennsylvania's State House. He kindly agreed to respond to our questions about lobbying reform:

Question 1: What should be the goals of any lobbying laws or reform in Pennsylvania?

Shawn Diggory: All lobbying laws should have one underlying goal: To increase the transparency with which our Legislature operates. All Pennsylvanians have a right to know who is seeking to persuade their elected officials and on what issues.

Question 2: What entity or entities should be responsible for administering these laws?

Shawn Diggory: The ideal would be to have a truly independent agency to enforce the law, outside of the Executive branch. This agency would also have authority over all lobbyists, not just the non-lawyer lobbyists. Absent this new entity, the State Ethics Commission should have this responsibility, and lawyers who feel that the Commission has over-reached its authority could appeal to the Judiciary.

Question 3: Are there any other states that could or should serve as a model for lobbying regulation?

Shawn Diggory: The State of Washington has very good disclosure laws, according to the Center for Public Integrity. Kentucky and South Carolina also ban or severely limit or ban gift-giving by lobbyists, which Pennsylvania should model. (I would prefer an outright ban, which would do away with a need for the bureaucracy to report gifts.)

Question 4: What kind of public reporting requirements should be required for lobbying? How much information should a citizen be able to find publicly about the activities of a lobbyist, and how should that information be made available?

Shawn Diggory: All lobbyists should be registered with the Commonwealth, and that information should be publicly available at an easy-to-navigate website. Additionally, quarterly expense reports detailing which public officials were lobbied and how much was spent should be posted at the same website.

Question 5: Should lobbyists be required to pay, through registration fees, for all costs involved in providing such registration/regulation/public reporting?

Shawn Diggory: The Commonwealth should absorb the costs associated with regulation and reporting. Registration fees are common, but should not be so high as to be a burden to lobbying groups that may not be well-funded, such as social issue lobbying groups.

Thinking about doing something sneaky on the Web? Let this be a lesson that if you do, you're likely to get your ass kicked by folks more knowledgeable than you...

There's a petition online. Only 27 signatures - and Rendell ain't one of them.

From American Agenda:

On March 15th, the Pennsylvania House of Representative's State Government Committee will be voting on HB 2381, the anti-LGBT, anti-family constitutional amendment that would prohibit recognition of same-sex marriage and all unmarried relationships in the Commonwealth.

Gary has contact information on his site. Live in Pennsylvania? Think this is a complete waste of time, resources and moral judgment in Pennsylvania? Even more - think it's plain wrong? Let your legislators know.

An editorial from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A hat tip to PA04Blue for the find.

Republican senators have developed a bill that will enshrine the Bush administration's lack of observance of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Unfortunately, their approach perpetuates the lack of oversight and does not assure future protection of Americans' civil liberties.

... The odor of what has happened and what the new White House-Senate proposal would institutionalize is clearly "police state," and for no good reason. FISA makes possible all of the surveillance of terrorists that is needed, with no delays and with effective oversight by a responsible U.S. court. There is no reason to change it.

With the anti-incumbent mood in Pennsylvania this year, particularly for members of the General Assembly, how soaked are contributors going to be from fundraisers from incumbents? If incumbents are really scared about the mood of the electorate, they're probably going to be looking for as much cash as possible...

The entire NSA spy scandal boils down to personal questions that each American ought to be asking themselves and their members of Congress:

Mr. Roncaglione is the Democratic Candidate for the 164th District, Pennsylvania House Of Representatives. He graciously answered our lobbyist regulation questions below.

Question 1: What should be the goals of any lobbying laws or reform in Pennsylvania?

Roncaglione: Make access to Legislators an open and fair process, eliminate price tags to gain entry. Full disclosure and monthly reporting of all meetings. No gifts, meals, trips or remunerations of any kind. Ban any lobbyist or group for one year if any of these proposals are violated.

Question 2: What entity or entities should be responsible for administering these laws?

Roncaglione: A special section in the Attorney General's office should be created to monitor Lobbyist activities. This section should also have prosecutorial powers over any wrongdoing.

Question 3: Are there any other states that could or should serve as a model for lobbying regulation?

Roncaglione: Vermont

Question 4: What kind of public reporting requirements should be required for lobbying? How much information should a citizen be able to find publicly about the activities of a lobbyist, and how should that information be made available?

Roncaglione: All Lobbyist actions should be posted on a newly created website with reporting responsibility by both Legislators and Lobbyists.

Question 5: Should lobbyists be required to pay, through registration fees, for all costs involved in providing such registration/regulation/public reporting?

Roncaglione: Costs for these proposals should be paid by those who lobby our Legislature on a sliding scale based on their individual expenditures.

Progressive PA Politics has the list. Yesterday was the filing deadline.

In case you were looking for some reading material elsewhere...

Ross Schriftman should be elected just for this idea:

Ross Schriftman, candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 152nd Legislative District (Portions of Eastern Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia) has proposed that all legislators be required to attend an annual class to review Pennsylvania and U.S. Constitutional Law. Speaking before a crowd of 70 Upper Dublin Democrats on Sunday, Schriftman said "All professions require continuing education for their members. We should expect no less from those whose primary job it is to make the laws."

I want to see more candidates stumping on this idea.

For Pennsylvania visitors only...