Conservative Group Tertium Quids names Ken Cuccinelli the Senate "Legislator of the year"

Tertium Quids website ^

[Gopher Broke]

GAINESVILLE, Virginia (May 20, 2009) – Tertium Quids has named Sen. Ken Cuccinelli as its inaugural “Legislator of the Year” in the Virginia Senate.

“Virginia would not have passed a law to put the state budget online or a law to prevent Kelo-like eminent domain abuses without Senator Cuccinelli steadfastly pushing for them for several years in the Virginia Senate,” said John Taylor, president of Tertium Quids.

Cuccinelli’s budget transparency bill to put more of the state’s budget, revenues, taxes, and expenditures on the Internet in a format easily understandable and accessible to the general public was signed into law in March. The Virginia General Assembly unanimously passed the legislation in late February, despite opposition to the bill last year. It has been hailed as beginning a new era in Virginia government transparency and accountability.

Cuccinelli’s bill to reform Virginia’s frequent abuse of eminent domain means that except for property taken for true public purposes such as utilities, schools, public buildings, etc., property may not be seized by government if the primary purpose is private financial gain, private benefit, an increase in the tax base or tax revenues, or an increase in jobs. In addition, no more property can be taken than would be necessary to achieve the stated public use. It passed and was signed into law in 2007.

This is the first year Tertium Quids has presented its “Legislator of the Year” award. “We have had several major pieces of legislation passed over the last four years to reduce the size and scope of government in Richmond. We have had many legislators introduce and support our bills, and we thought it was time to start recognizing their outstanding efforts,” said Taylor.

Tertium Quids will soon announce its “Legislator of the Year” for the Virginia House of Delegates.

[deks]

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