Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - 11:49am
Groups lobby Markell to tackle lobbying reform
Updated Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - 12:43pm
Several groups are lobbying Governor Markell to ratchet up efforts to institute lobbying reform in Delaware.
James Browning with Common Cause says they want Markell to create a lobbying study commission to pull back the curtain on how the practice works in Dover.
"People in Delaware have very little information compared to other states about just how powerful those lobbyists are and how much influence they have and how reliant legislators are on these lobbyists to get things done. And what we've seen is they're not going to act on their own. The legislature isn't going to stand up to these special interests who are wining and dining them It's going to take leadership by the Governor and it's going to take a commission to get anything done," Browning says.
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According to Browning, Markell has said he doesn't agree with the idea.
"(He) didn't like having a commission with lobbyists on it, but, frankly, that makes no sense. If you really look at this issue, you know that for reform to pass, you're going to have to talk to those insider lobbyists. You're going to have to work with them and address their concerns and recommendations that come out. So we need a straight answer from the Governor on what he's going to do to improve our lobbying law," Browning says.
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A year ago, a measure passed in the House to create just such a panel. A year later, says Browning, it still hasn't seen the light of day in the Senate.
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