WHAT WERE THESE DELEGATES THINKING ABOUT WHEN THEY VOTED AGAINST PROTECTING THE PEOPLE'S PRIVATE INFORMATION?

On February 1, 2003, I watched from the gallery in the House of Delegates as last minute efforts were made to kill the bill (HB 2426) - the one bill put in this year that will protect people's records/lives containing their SS#s, Dobs, signatures, mother's maiden names, financial account #s, children's names and date of birth. 

Del. James F. Almand - County of Arlington (part) and all their records are online already

Del. William K. Barlow - parts of Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, City of Franklin, Surry and Wm'burg  (? Records online already)

Del. Robert S. Bloxom - Accomac and Northampton; part of cities of Hampton and Norfolk (? Records online)

Del. Robert H. Brink - part of Arlington (records are online)

Del. Mary T. Christian - part of Hampton 

Del. J. Paul Councill, Jr. - Greensville & Sussex; part of Brunswick, Isle of Wight, Lunenburg, Southampton; Cities of Emporia and Franklin (part)  (Brunswick online)

Del. Flora D. Crittenden - part of both Hampton and Newport News (Newport News online)

Del. L. Karen Darner - part of  Arlington, Fairfax and City of Alexandria (Arlington and Fairfax online)

Del. Jeannemarie Devolites -  part of Fairfax Co. (records are online)

Del. Allen W. Dudley - counties of Franklin, Floyd, Pittsylvania (part) (? Records online)

Del. Franklin P. Hall - part of Chesterfield and part of Richmond  (not yet online)

Del. Frank D. Hargrove, Sr.- part of Hanover Co. (not yet online)

Del. Joseph P. Johnson Jr. - Bristol City, and parts of Smyth and Washington counties (may be online in all 3)

Del. Daniel  W. Marshall, III - city of Danville, and parts of Pittsylvania and Henry counties (Danville online)

Del. Kenneth R. Melvin - parts of Chesapeake, Norfolk and Portsmouth (? online)

Del. Henry J. Parrish - part of Prince William (records are online) and cities of Manassas and Manassas Pk.

Del. J. Chapman Petersen - Fairfax City and part of Fairfax County (records are online)  

Del. Clarence E. Phillips - City of Norton, Dickenson, and parts of Russell and Wise counties (people's lives are online in at least Wise/City of Norton) 

Del. Kenneth R. Plum - part of Fairfax Co. (records are online)

Del. Gary Alan Reese - part of both Loudoun and Fairfax (records online in Fairfax)

Del. Tom Rust - part of both  Fairfax and Loudoun  (Fairfax online)

Del. James M. Shuler - Alleghany, Bath, Craig, Giles (part) and cities of Clifton Forge and Covington (? online)

Del. Lionell Spruill, Sr. - parts of cities of Chesapeake and Suffolk (? online)

Del. Jackie T. Stump - Buchanan; part of Russell and Tazewell (? online)

Del. Marian Van Landingham - Alexandria City (part), Arlington (part), Fairfax (part) - (Fairfax and Arlington records are online)

Del. Mitchell Van Yahres - Albemarle (part), City of Charlottesville (? online)

Del. Vivian E. Watts - Fairfax (part) - (records are online)

Del. Clifton A. Woodrum - City of Roanoke, County of Roanoke (part) (? online)

Del. Thomas C. Wright, Jr.- Amelia, Mecklenburg; parts of Brunswick, Lunenburg, and Nottaway  (Brunswick online)

Del. Devolites who chairs a committee to study online records wanted this returned to her committee so it could be "studied" for two more years thereby leaving millions of records/people at risk.  "I am unaware of any clerk providing access to any records without a subscription," she said.  (Not true!)  She read a letter from the Clerk of Prince William against the bill.  She asked the Delegates not to support the bill.

Del. Nixon in response to her comments said he also served on the joint sub-committee and he put the bill in because he "felt we were not faithfully fulfilling our responsibility to the citizens of the Commonwealth and that what was being proposed was nothing more than a band aid. I felt we needed to have a serious policy discussion about this issue and that is why I decided to put this bill in"

"This bill only concerns documents that have been posted on the internet for public view that contain the personal information we discussed yesterday.   Mr. Speaker, the convenience and efficiencies of government are laudable goals, but we should not put those above the interest of the public.  I ask that the bill be passed. "

AND IT WAS THANKS TO THE GOOD SENSE OF THOSE WHO VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST AND NOT THE "SPECIAL INTERESTS."

AYES 68--- NAYS 29---

 1 ABSTENTION. (Miles - Charles City Co; parts of Henrico, Prince George, Hopewell, and  Richmond

 (2 were absent - Bolvin and Carrico)

 And why haven't the newspapers covered this more than a 2 inch story?  Because they want this stuff online but apparently don't want the people to know what's going on…It is obvious from the lack of coverage.

AGAINST HB 2426 WERE: The Virginia Press Association, the Virginia Association of Broadcasters, the Virginia Coalition for Open Government (membership is comprised of almost all newspapers in VA and TV stations plus others), the Virginia Association of Realtors, the Circuit Court Clerks Association, Judy Worthington (Clerk of Chesterfield), Yvonne Smith (Clerk of Henrico), Bevill Dean (Clerk of Richmond Circuit Court), Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, American Cadastre (AmCad -a web provider), and Mixnet (a web provider).

 The Senate will now consider this Bill - Contact your SENATOR NOW to support HB 2426!