RELEASE: Obenshain’s Bills for Warren County Economic Development Authority Pass Senate

Obenshain’s Bills for Warren County Economic Development Authority Pass Senate

Bills to Improve Accountability, Transparency and Oversight Head to House for Hearing

CONTACT: Jennifer Aulgur

PHONE: (804) 833-1081

EMAIL: [email protected]

RICHMOND – Senator Obenshain (R-Rockingham) today announced an update on legislation that has passed the Senate.

Obenshain’s SB 701 requiring executive directors and members of each economic development authority to complete the Virginia Conflict of Interest Act (COIA) and Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) training passed out of the Committee on General Laws and off the floor of the Senate to the House of Delegates unanimously.

Also passed unanimously was Obenshain’s SB 703 which requires executive directors and members of each economic development authority to file the Virginia Statement of Economic Interest (SOEI) with the clerk of the local governing body.

Obenshain said of the two bills, “These bills requiring EDA directors and members to take ethics training and submit SOEI is a step in the right direction in ensuring government transparency and accountability. We want to do our best to try and prevent what we saw in Warren County from happening again – these bills attempt to do that.”

“Our EDA’s solve complex solutions and bring crucial economic initiatives to our districts. The work they do are much needed shots in the arm to our communities’ economies,” Obenshain continued. “The citizens deserve our trust and confidence and these bills help ensure they will have it.”

Senator Obenshain represents the twenty-sixth district in the Senate of Virginia. The district includes the city of Harrisonburg and the counties of Warren, Shenandoah, Page Rappahannock and Rockingham (part).  

###