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Bill to ban party chairs as lobbyists

Delegate Isaac Sponaugle, D-Pendleton, and Delegate Justin Marcum, D-Mingo, address the media Wednesday during a press conference called to introduce a House Bill that would prohibit chairmen of state political parties from registering as lobbyists while serving as chairman or up to one year after the termination of their employment as chairman of those political parties. Photo by the West Virginia Press Association
Delegate Isaac Sponaugle, D-Pendleton, and Delegate Justin Marcum, D-Mingo, address the media Wednesday during a press conference called to introduce a House Bill that would prohibit chairmen of state political parties from registering as lobbyists while serving as chairman or up to one year after the termination of their employment as chairman of those political parties. Photo by the West Virginia Press Association

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As it currently stands, West Virginia is one of only three states in the nation where party chairpersons also work as registered lobbyists.

Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates introduced a bill Monday that would alter legislation to ban that practice in the state.

“It’s a situation that, once revealed, cannot now be ignored,” said bill co-sponsor Del. Don Perdue, D-Wayne. “Simple logic tells us this bill is the right response for both major parties, and for West Virginia.”

Under West Virginia State Code 6b-3-2, members of the Legislature, executive department, Supreme Court of Appeals, department secretaries of the executive branch, and “at will and pleasure professional employees” of either the Legislature or executive department, cannot be registered lobbyists during or up to one year after the termination of their public employment or service.

This legislation, sponsored by 11 Democratic delegates, seeks to add party chairs to that list of public officers who cannot register as lobbyists in West Virginia.

Historically, two chairpersons represent each of the 50 states. Of those 100 state chairs, only four are currently registered as lobbyists, Del. Isaac Sponaugle, D-Pendleton, explained.

West Virginia boasts two of the four: W.Va. Democratic Party Chairman Larry Puccio and W.Va. Republican Party Chairman Conrad Lucas.

The only other states to employ this practice are currently Delaware and South Dakota, said Sponaugle, also a co-sponsor of the bill.

Delegate Don Perdue
Delegate Don Perdue

Perdue called the revelation an “unpleasant fact.”

“We’ve asked the question ‘Why?’ and we know why,” Perdue said. “It’s because we overlooked something, and it’s time to change it.”

Del. Justin Marcum, D-Mingo, said that this is not a party issue, but rather an ethical issue to ensure that special interests are not intertwined with politics.

“We want to be ethically sound,” said Marcum. “Pick your fruit; you can’t have both.”

Sponaugle reinforced that point, saying that although there are currently only Democrat sponsors, the bill is not an attempt to make Democrats look better than Republicans.

“We’re willing to come forward and say, ‘This needs to change. Both parties are at fault here,’” said Sponaugle.

“We’re requesting that they put it on the agenda.”

The bill was introduced on Monday and is currently awaiting a house bill number, Sponaugle said.

 

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