Passing the buck on protecting citizens

November 29, 2011

Governor McDonnell's task force on reforming state mandates is starting to reveal its recommendations. The News & Advance reports, "the task force's short list includes 105 education mandates and 80 local government mandates... In the latter category, environmental mandates were most frequently criticized, accounting for 12 of the items proposed for elimination or amendment. Transportation and FOIA/Transparency mandates tied for second with 11 items each."

Progressive Point: Governor McDonnell wants to eliminate state mandates that protect Virginians. These important rules make sure Virginia's dams, water, and food are safe. They ensure our children have good schools. They make government more transparent. They help keep our children and families safe.

Instead of fulfilling the state's responsibility to pay for implementing rules that keep us safe, McDonnell is attempting to eliminate them altogether. These mandated protections make sure our government does its job. McDonnell cannot use partisan task forces and budget problems to pass the buck on protecting citizens. Virginia's communities can't afford the cost of Bob McDonnell's mismanagement.

Get the Facts
The News & Advance shares these specific targets of the task force:

• "No longer requiring localities to investigate claims of child abuse at juvenile detention centers."
• "[A] proposal to shift more responsibility for road maintenance onto localities"
• "[A] potential push to divert more revenue from court fines to the state"
• "[N]ew dam safety and storm water quality regulations"
• "[S]tipulated response times for Freedom of Information Act requests and a mandate that certain public notices be published in a newspaper"
• "[R]estrictions on how local governments can manage their employee retirement costs"
• "Eliminating a required salary formula allowing law enforcement officers and firefighters to earn overtime for annual and sick leave."
• "Amending the new 100 percent real estate tax exemption for disabled veterans to take into account their income and property value."

Tweet it: McDonnell is using partisan task forces and budget problems to pass the buck on protecting citizens http://bit.ly/sr4ZEj via @ProgressVA

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