Comments on: Opening up the process

By: The Virginia Progressive » HR 48 dies in House

The Virginia Progressive » HR 48 dies in House — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:46:48 +0000

[…] 7-West: Opening up the process […]

By: Doug in Mount Vernon

Doug in Mount Vernon — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:38:07 +0000

Excuse me, PBI’d it so fast. We need more access to our legislators and how they’re doing business down there.

Having been there Wednesday for the day you get the sense of it, but it’s not open enough for regular folks to see it in total sunshine. I’d like to have video access to committee and sub-committee meetings, or at least audio, and I’d like to be able to see all votes made in any legislative setting.

Thanks so much for offering both of these. If we get control, I hope you’ll offer this again so we can take the politics out of redistricting and let the sunshine in OUR House!

By: Doug in Mount Vernon

Doug in Mount Vernon — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:34:44 +0000

This is good work Kris!

So was your bill to establish a non-partisan redistricting commission. I’m spitting mad as your constituent that they killed it so fast! Dave Albo had to motion to kill it too…..UGH!!

By: HR 48 needs your support! « Vivian J. Paige

HR 48 needs your support! « Vivian J. Paige — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:26:49 +0000

[…] 48 needs your support! January 12, 2007 Posted by vjp in Politics, Local, Virginia. trackback Delegate Kris Amundson alerts us to the need to open up the process: In 2006, nearly 2000 billswere considered by the House of Delegates. But of that number, 615â€“more than 30 percentâ€“show no recorded vote on their disposition. In contrast, in 2005, before House rules were changed to allow bills to be killed in subcommittee without a recorded vote, just 9 bills failed without a recorded vote in 2005 (roughly half of one percent). […]

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 21:49:16 +0000

It was at the very beginning of session. You can find it in the rules committee for the house. If they were on Richmond Sunlight, the tag would be “ridiculous”

By: Todd

Todd — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 21:32:08 +0000

How and when were the rules changed last year to allow for secret votes? I did a couple searches at the GA site (leg1.state.va.us) and couldn’t find anything about the change.

Thanks.

By: Waldo Jaquith » Blog » In Soviet Russia, bill secret(e)s you.

Waldo Jaquith » Blog » In Soviet Russia, bill secret(e)s you. — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:29:54 +0000

[…] (Via 7 West) […]

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:10:34 +0000

Thank you very much. I think the armed guards was the story most told to me when I worked last session. I still can’t imagine it how that must have felt.

By: Kris Amundson

Kris Amundson — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 18:28:44 +0000

Any member of the public may attend any subcommittee, although they are usually held very early in the morning or very late in the afternoon. (This is a change from the Bad Old Days when–no kidding–there were armed guards outside the Appropriations room!) I imagine the Chairman could prohibit video recordings, since they are not allowed in the House itself. The rules are silent on this, however.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 18:20:04 +0000

What exactly are the rules in regards to public recordings of these subcommittee meetings? Can a member of the public make an audio recording? Can they make a video?