Should the people with the most money get to make the laws in Virginia?
There’s a cycle. In order to write laws, legislators need to be elected. They need money to get elected. It’s often the one with the most money that gets elected because they are able to get their name before more people. The corporations and industry lobbyists who give them money ask for laws that favor their business dealings in return.
The legislators say they don’t let these large campaign con-tributions influence their lawmaking, but how can you believe that? If they were not impacting legislation, why would they give candidates money?
Who is giving candidates money in Virginia? The candidates for the 56th district of the General Assembly show a marked contrast. From his own campaign finance reporting we see that John McGuire has taken in a considerable amount in donations from Dominion Energy and industry lobbying groups, such as the auto dealers association and beer wholesalers.
His opponent, Blakely Lockhart, on the other hand, is relying on small donations from ordinary people, and has pledged to refuse donations from Dominion.
Whose interests will be represented when bills are proposed and voted on? I want our lawmakers to work together to solve our problems without being under pressure to satisfy the demands of large donors.
Mary Kranz
Louisa
This letter was previously published in the latest edition of the Central Virginian newspaper and is reprinted here with the author’s permission.