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May 4, 2007 -- Legal Center Weekly Report: May 4, 2007
Reform groups and the Committee for Economic Development sent a letter this week urging House members to support strong and effective lobbying reform legislation, including provisions dealing with bundling disclosure, Astroturf lobbying disclosure and the "revolving door" between Capitol Hill and K Street, when the House considers shortly its lobbying reform legislation.
The reform groups signing the letter include the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG. The Committee for Economic Development is a national organization of business leaders and educators.
The letter states, ''The House action taken on this critical issue will tell citizens whether Members are serious about reforming the nation's lobbying disclosure laws, in the wake of the Abramoff corruption and lobbying scandals.''
On Wednesday, May 2, J. Gerald Hebert, Campaign Legal Center Executive Director and Director of Litigation, testified before the Texas House Redistricting Committee that was considering legislation that would bring about redistricting reform.
Hebert called on the legislature to pass legislation that would give an independent commission the authority to draw district lines. Hebert said: "Whenever legislators have sole authority in crafting political boundaries, it risks disempowering voters and undermining democratic accountability - not to mention ignoring a flagrant conflict of interest. As some put it, 'Legislators are picking their constituents, and it's supposed to be the other way around.' Thus, there are growing reasons to place redistricting powers in the hands of an independent authority that is structured to prevent partisan abuse."
Legal Center Blog Highlights
Each week, the Campaign Legal Center staff posts blog entries on its site, www.clcblog.org . This week's entries include Click to read this week's entry: " Is Wisconsin Right to Life Expanding Again? ," or to sign up for blog updates, click here .
To read a variety of this week's editorials and articles on a variety of Campaign Legal Center issues, please click here.
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