Jennifer Carroll Foy releases plan to curb lobbyist power - plus the latest in VA politics
New plan from Carroll Foy, Snyder adds campaign leadership, Perryman releases video, plus so much more.
Jennifer Carroll Foy announces plan to limit lobbyist power in Virginia
Virginia is the wild west of campaign finance with very few restrictions on what an individual or corporation can donate to a political candidate or elected official. Democratic candidate for Governor, Jennifer Carroll Foy (Woodbridge), announced a plan on Tuesday that she says will elevate the voice of Virginians by rooting out corruption in politics.
“When politicians give special interests a seat at the table, they kick the people out of the room,” said Carroll Foy. “Virginia has a well earned reputation for corruption, with two governors facing FBI investigations in the last eight years. It’s far past time to pull back the curtain on behind-the-scenes political dealings with corporations and special interests and close the loopholes that facilitate a rigged system.”
Carroll Foy says she wants to get big corporations out of Virginia politics by prohibiting them from donating to candidates - this is already a law in federal elections. She also wants to mirror federal law by limiting contributions from individuals, PACs, and party committees to candidate committees in Virginia to the federal limit of $2,800 per election.
Additionally, Carroll Foy wants to ban lobbyists, their immediate family members, and their employers from making political contributions to candidates in Virginia. She wants to take it further than that by restricting legislators or state elected officials from lobbying for five years after they leave elected office. Under current law, elected officials only have to wait one year before they can register as a lobbyist.
In an effort to provide Virginians with more transparency about who is advising their representatives, Carroll Foy wants to require candidates and officeholders to disclose the names and clients of any lobbyist who works on their political campaigns, paid or unpaid, or on transition teams for new officeholders.
Carroll Foy wants to use revenue created by enacting a tax on excessive corporate lobbying and raising lobbyist registration fees to boost legislative staff resources. This would be an attempt to prevent legislators from relying so heavily on the work of lobbyists.
“Constituents have a right to know who advises their representatives, and cozy relationships with lobbyists must end,” said Carroll Foy. “ We’ll take action as an administration to stop the undue influence and corruption in our government. In order to serve the people, elected officials need to listen to the people, not special interests.”
Pete Snyder for Governor Announces Campaign Leadership Team
Republican candidate for governor of Virginia Pete Snyder announced his campaign leadership team on Monday.
Former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General of Virginia Ken Cuccinelli, Kay Coles James, president of The Heritage Foundation, Senator Mark Obenshain, and Delegate Israel O’Quinn will serve as Pete Snyder for Governor Campaign co-chairs.
"We set out on day one to win this race, and with Virginia’s strongest conservative leaders driving our grassroots campaign, we know we’ll be successful. Like me, they believe we need a conservative outsider and small business champion to take on the establishment and get Virginia leading again,” said Snyder. "Returning conservative leadership to Virginia is going to be a team effort and I’m honored to have these stalwart conservatives helping me."
Sean Perryman (D-Fairfax), released a campaign video on Tuesday highlighting what led to him running for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2021.
“Standing up for what’s right. Fighting for equity. Building a society where no one is left behind. And creating a better world for my daughter. That feeds my soul,” says Perryman.
Watch the video below:
Lawmakers Advance Voting Rights Act of Virginia
By Cierra Parks
Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. — On the first day of Black History Month, legislators advanced a bill to help ensure voter protection for Virginia citizens. House Bill 1890, also known as the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, cleared the House in a 55-45 vote.
Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, modeled the bill after the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Price’s bill aims to eliminate voter suppression, intimidation and discrimination through changes in voting laws and practices by election officials.
“Though the original Voting Rights Act was passed on the federal level in 1965, there are still attacks on voting rights today that can result in voter suppression, discrimination and intimidation,” Price said during the bill’s hearing. “We need to be clear that this is not welcome in our great commonwealth.”
The bill prohibits localities from influencing the results of elections by “diluting or abridging the rights of voters who are from a protected class.” The measure defines the protected class as a group of citizens protected from discrimination based on race, color, or membership in a language minority group.
Young Black Voters Made History in the 2020 Election Cycle
According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, 87% of 18-to-29-year-old Black voters supported the Biden-Harris ticket, including 90% of young Black women.
CIRCLE polling shows that the COVID-19 pandemic and police violence were top areas of concern motivating Black youth to vote, demonstrating the urgency Democrats must take in addressing such issues. NextGen America is further calling upon the Biden administration to immediately cancel at least $50,000 of student loan debt per person, an executive action that would particularly benefit Black Americans, who bear a disproportionate debt burden. The organization is also pushing for legislation to protect and strengthen youth voting rights.
“We are living history, and young Black voters are at the forefront of it,” said NextGen America National Political Manager Justin Atkins. “Of course, thanking Black voters for our courage is one thing, but now our elected officials must demonstrate political courage by taking action on police violence, the student debt crisis, and voting rights.”
Senate moves to make ballot drop-off boxes permanent, publicize individual parole board votes, move primary elections
Virginia’s General Assembly is approaching the three-week mark of their short 30-day legislative session and both chambers are really starting to pass a large number of bills each day. Both chambers have to complete their full legislative agenda and send the legislation over to the opposite chamber for consideration before Governor Ralph Northam can sign each bill into law – if he so chooses.
Senators signed off on legislation that will make some of the emergency COVID-19 voting-safety measures put into place during the 2020 special session permanent law. SB 1245 from Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Bath) would make ballot drop off boxes at polling locations a permanent fixture and it would require the general registrars to begin preprocessing absentee ballots that are returned before election day and to notify an absentee voter of any errors or issues with the completion or return of their ballot that would render it void. The legislation passed on a 21-18 partisan vote.
Senators voted unanimously to support John Bell’s (D-Loudoun) SB 1279, a bill that would require the Department of Veterans Services to develop a comprehensive program to assist military service members, veterans, and their spouses in making a successful transition from military to civilian life in Virginia.
More campaign news:
The House of Delegates passed legislation on Monday that will rename the Division of Human Rights in the Department of Law as the Office of Civil Rights.
Attorney General Mark Herring (D) is pushing this legislation.
“This is a big moment in Virginia’s long and continuing journey to live up to its promise of equality for all. Every Virginian has the right to live free from discrimination, and free from the fear that they might be denied an opportunity or treated differently because of who they are, what they look like, how they worship, or whom them love,” said Attorney General Mark Herring.
Herring’s primary opponent, Del. Jay Jones (D-Norfolk), who previously called for the creation of this office, voted against the bill on Monday. Jones noted last week that he believes the bill from Herring doesn’t actually do anything.
Jones attempted to present a substitute on Friday that would do more than rename the division, but Herring’s supporters in the House killed the substitute.
Democratic candidate for Governor Terry McAuliffe released a new video highlighting Navy veteran’s battle with homelessness
McAuliffe released a video on Monday spotlighting the story of Yasmine Charles, a Navy veteran in Hampton Roads, and her experience with homelessness in Virginia, Watch the video below:
Virginia health officials say COVID-19 vaccines aren’t being wasted. But they won’t release data backing it up. Virginia Mercury
Virginia House passes bill ending coal tax credits Associated Press
Virginia Senator Sues Chamber Over Censure Tied to Capitol Riot Courthouse News Service
Virginia has sped up its vaccine distribution and pulled ahead of most states. But equity concerns remain high. Richmond Times-Dispatch
House budget panel backs sick leave proposal, but kills hazard pay bill Richmond Times-Dispatch
Attorney general pushes for legislation aimed at Dominion Energy's excess profits Richmond Times-Dispatch