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Jubelirer Scores Inaccurate Common Cause Comments As
Counterproductive
HARRISBURG -- Senator
Robert C. Jubelirer, who recently announced a Senate effort to restore
Pennsylvania’s lobbyist disclosure law, said he was surprised by the unjustified
criticism contained in a report and release from a statewide advocacy group.
“That Common Cause is trying to focus public
attention on the serious need for a new lobbying disclosure law is commendable.
That they have misrepresented the situation and attacked a well-conceived
measure without having taken a hard look at it is irresponsible and
disappointing. It is highly unusual for a group to take misguided shots at
those who are providing leadership and pushing a solution that needs to be
practical, effective, and legally sustainable,” Jubelirer said.
Jubelirer rejected Common Cause Executive Director
Barry Kauffman’s description of the draft legislation as “potentially creating
administrative chaos and diminished enforcement.”
“We spent considerable time figuring out how to
avoid the problems that led to the previous law being overturned and how to
construct a reporting system and enforcement mechanisms that would work better
day-to-day than the ones contained in the 1998 law. I do not know what possible
basis Kauffman has for drawing his negative conclusions, and it is inexplicable
what he hopes to accomplish by so quickly denigrating a good-faith solution on
an issue where consensus is never easy to reach,” he stated.
Jubelirer faulted the news release from Kauffman on
two factual counts:
The release states that “Pennsylvania remains the
only state in the nation where lobbyists do not have to register or report…”
Jubelirer pointed out that more than 600 lobbyists have registered since the
state Senate approved a disclosure rule in January 2003, and millions of dollars
in spending on lobbying efforts directed toward the Senate has been reported.
The lobbyist registration information has been made available to the public on
the Internet. Pennsylvania needs a strong law, but that is no reason for giving
short shrift to the interim measure in place.
The release continues: “…and their activities are
not controlled by any law.” That is a clear misstatement of fact, since there
are prohibitions against contingency lobbying contained in the criminal code.
The Senate’s lobbyist accountability bill has
attracted 36 sponsors so far.
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