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Sunday, October 28, 2012

Common Cause rates Walsh 100% ethics and open government

Walsh ranked among the highest by Common Cause
                                                                                                    
Donna at work in her office as vice-chair of the
House Environment Committee
STATE HOUSE News Bureau – Rep. Donna Walsh (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, Westerly, South Kingstown) scored one of the highest marks in the General Assembly on the 2012 Common Cause Legislative Scorecard, released this week.

Representative Walsh received a final score of 81 on the grassroots organization’s 10th biennial tally, putting her in a tie for the second-highest mark among the 113 members of the House and the Senate. The score is based on a two-year voting record of legislators on a number of government reform issues valued by Common Cause.

“I’m proud to stand with Common Cause on many government reform issues. Honest government is very important to citizens, and I’m committed to efforts that shed more light on the system,” said Representative Walsh, who for years has been sponsoring legislation to require an open selection process of magistrates based on merit.



Common Cause tracked 48 votes during the 2011 and 2012 sessions, among them campaigns and elections, judicial reform, ethics, open government and separation of powers. The final score for each legislator is arrived at by assigning a number of points (1, 2 or 3) for various issues and bills, weighted based on their level of importance to Common Cause.

The organization listed Representative Walsh as voting in favor of its position on 39 of those votes. She received 100 percent marks in three areas: ethics, open government and separation of powers.

Representative Walsh has served in the House since 2006 and previously served in the Senate from 1996 to 2002. She is vice chairwoman of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, secretary of the Small Business Committee and a member of the House Corporations Committee.