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.

Senate Approves Lobbying Limits by Wide Margin

Reminds me of this...

Baby steps.

Interesting article today in the Washington Post about lobbying in the nation's capitol. This stood out as a truth, blunt and obvious:

Lobbyists muscled their way into the process as pork-barrel earmarking was exploding, promising to make sure their clients' requests rose to the top of the pile. The Congressional Research Service counted 3,023 earmarks worth $19.5 billion in 1996 spending bills. By this year, the number had climbed to 12,852, valued at $64 billion. The number of clients registered with Congress on budget and appropriations matters has more than doubled since 1998, from 1,665 to 3,759 in 2004, according to the Center for Public Integrity.

Lobbyists play such a central role in the appropriations process that many constituents believe they have no choice but to retain one if they hope to obtain funding for their project or organization.

Here's a question about that $64 billion in earmarks - how much of that goes to the lobbying firms? How much is America actually paying in appropriations so that the lobbying process is used? That's the number this article needs.

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.

Just like here, Taiwan's lobbying bill is bogged down in the committee stage. Interesting to see another country's take on the reform issue.

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.