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All Access
5 items
Follow the bills we follow. VCOG’s annual bill chart is up and running
and will be updated daily throughout the legislative session.
Click here
The House subcommittee that hears FOIA bills will meet this afternoon. I can’t say an exact time because first the House floor session has to end, then the full General Laws Committee has to meet, then the subcommittee on ABC and gaming, and THEN the open government and procurement subcommittee. You can track when these meetings start and end by following the main House video page.
Here’s a quick run-down on the bills:
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HB 313: Would let people who own property in Virginia, but who don’t live in the state, to nonetheless use FOIA as if they were citizens. SUPPORT
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HB 346: Would exempt a government’s utility account number from disclosure (this does not include telephone numbers). NEUTRAL
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HB 463: Would allow more members of a public body to meet together without triggering FOIA rules. OPPOSE (however, the patron is expected to ask this bill to go to the FOIA Council for study of related issues)
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HB 644: Would create an exemption for the personal information of minors participating in state-sponsored internships. NEUTRAL
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HB 709: Would exempt employee “home address, personal email address, and home and personal phone numbers” as part of their personnel rile. OPPOSE (however, the patron has indicated he will either strike the bill, or amend it to apply only to a home address)
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Statewide
You’ve probably never heard of the Williamsburg-based Virginia Coalition for Open Government, which this year celebrates 30 years fighting to open the workings of government to taxpayers. Executive Director Megan Rhyne, who has been with the group for all but two of those years, says the average citizen doesn’t know the center exists, and why it fights to strengthen Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Although the coalition was founded by news media and the Virginia Press Association in 1996, Rhyne said the purpose of FOIA is not to help the news media, but the common citizen. “When you are working for the public, you have a duty to the public to do your work in front of them and give them access to information and to you,” Rhyne says.
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General Assembly
A bill by Sen. Russet Perry (D-31) that would suspend town officials charged with felonies is advancing to the full Senate after receiving approval from a committee Monday morning. SB 648 would require the court in the criminal proceeding against an officer of a town to suspend the accused pending the results of the criminal proceeding and any other related proceeding, such as a recall effort. The bill is limited to Northern Virginia and would only apply to towns with a population between 8,000 and 10,000 people. Purcellville is home to approximately 9,000 residents. Perry told the Senate Local Government Committee on Jan. 26 that the bill was narrowly crafted to apply to Purcellville. … Currently, Vice Mayor Carl “Ben” Nett and Town Manager Kwasi Fraser are facing felony charges of commercial fraud and bid rigging. Nett faces an additional four charges related to misuse of a law enforcement database.
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Local
In the past seven years, Buchanan has seen eight town managers come and go through its municipal building situated in the heart of the small town, tucked into a curve of the James River about 30 miles north of Roanoke. As for what, or who, has propelled this revolving door, multiple former and current town officials, managers and residents point the finger at longtime town council member Jamie Manspile, citing what they say is his disregard for protocol, policy and professionalism. “Jamie wants to run everything,” said former town council member Mike Burton. “He wants to be in charge, to tell everybody what to do.” … A lifelong Buchanan resident in the midst of his third term on the council, Manspile says these accusations are unfounded and the result of small-town gossip.
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Local
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office has been contacted by producers of “On Patrol Live,” a nationally televised documentary series that follows law enforcement agencies across the country in real time. … Before any decision is made, Davis said the agency is seeking feedback from county residents. The sheriff asked the public to weigh in on whether they would support the office being featured on the show, what benefits they see from participating, and any concerns the community believes should be considered. “Your input matters to us,” the statement said. “We appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective as we evaluate this opportunity.”
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Opinion
Virginians have an ally in keeping track of political donations. VPAP (the Virginia Public Access Project) has been collecting, sorting and publicly reporting campaign finance data for just under three decades. As a result of its work, you can track through your computer donations to state senators, delegates and candidates for statewide office. And one person is largely responsible for building that system from scratch, beginning in 1997. … At its core, though, VPAP remains the most convenient way we can track who is donating what to whom in Virginia politics.
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VCOG’s annual FOI awards nomination form is open.
Nominate your FOIA hero!
“Democracies die behind closed doors.” ~ U.S. District Judge Damon Keith, 2002
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