Robbins Co-Sponsors "Lobbying Accountability Act"
Harrisburg – State Senator Bob Robbins (R-50) is co-sponsoring
legislation to restore lobbyist disclosure requirements in
Pennsylvania government.
Robbins said Senate Bill 1, the "Lobbying Accountability Act,"
would replace a 1998 lobbyist disclosure law that was narrowly
overturned by state courts. The ruling stated that the PA Supreme
Court – not the General Assembly – had the constitutional authority to
regulate the actions of the many lawyers who work as lobbyists.
The Senator said the new measure -- which has wide bipartisan
support -- would require lobbyists and those who hire them to register
with the Department of State every two years, and to report their
spending four times a year.
"As we recently saw with gambling legislation, millions of dollars
are spent by interests every year to influence the debate over public
policy," said Robbins. "The public has a right to know who is spending
that money, how much they are spending, and what they are spending it
on."
The state Supreme Court paved the way for a revised law by issuing
an order late last year indicating that lawyer/lobbyists could be
required to abide by disclosure requirements if they were properly
drawn. One of the key changes in Senate Bill 1 involves the
Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court in receiving information and
handling investigations pertaining to lawyer/lobbyists. The Department
of State would house regular filings and the state Ethics Commission
would conduct audits and undertake some investigations. The state
Attorney General would provide high-level enforcement, along with the
Disciplinary Board.
Since the 1998 law was struck down, the Senate adopted a rule to
require lobbyists to register and report spending for their activities
relating to lobbying the Senate. It is the only lobbyist disclosure
requirement currently in effect in Pennsylvania government.
CONTACT: Mike Hengst (717) 787-1322
