It took a liberal policy group, ProgressVA, to accomplish through public shaming what good-government advocates in Virginia have failed to accomplish over the years through reasoned arguments and rational discussions: force the Virginia General Assembly to take action that opens up the legislative process.
For years, the Assembly has broadcast floor sessions of the state Senate and House of Delegates, first on a broadcast video feed and, in recent years, in a live stream on the internet. But as any political aficionado knows, the real work of any legislative body takes place at the committee and subcommittee levels — floor sessions are mainly stage shows.
That’s where the commonwealth has fallen short. There is no live or archived video record of the Assembly’s many committees and subcommittees at work. Read more…