RICHMOND, Va (WVIR) -A group of Democrats and others say there are too many loopholes in the recently-passed ethics reform package in Virginia. In fact, they say some aspects of it could weaken gift and travel rules.
A letter signed by six House Democrats urges Governor Terry McAuliffe to step up on political ethics reform. They believe the new legislation was rushed through the General Assembly and has too many soft spots.
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"I plan to give it a thorough review to determine if it meets the standard that Virginians have set for us in the wake of the recent scandals," McAuliffe said.
Groups, including ProgressVA have pored over the legislation and say they see problems in it.
"It's incredibly disappointing that, from our point of view, the General Assembly is yet again trying to pass off a half-hearted effort as comprehensive ethics reform," said ProgressVA Executive Director Anna Scholl.
One of the biggest changes made was on the gift cap for state lawmakers, which was lowered from $250 to $100. However, now that only applies to a single gift. Under previous rules, lawmakers could receive a total of $250 in gifts for the entire year. The new rules allow them to receive many gifts of $100 or less.
"That gift cap is no longer applied in the aggregate, meaning [Dominion Virginia Power] could provide a legislator with a $99 gift every day for a year without breaking the law," Scholl explained.
Critics also believe new language on travel has undermined reform and could open the door to special interest groups paying for trips, and do it without public disclosure.
"We're going to have a thorough review. This is important for transparency, and if the bill doesn't do what we think it needs to do, we'll take appropriate action," the governor said.
In the coming weeks, Gov. McAuliffe will decide whether to sign, veto or make changes to ethics reform. The General Assembly will need to give its approval if McAuliffe decides to amend the bill.