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For Immediate Release
February 19, 2009
Contact: Adam Pankake
(717) 787-3280

Senator Yaw Introduces Bill to Stop "Revolving Door" Between Government Work and Lobbying

Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) announced today that he will introduce legislation designed to help stop the revolving door of state government, which allows employees to move between industry jobs and government jobs which influence that industry.

"Being an employee of the government is supposed to be a public service," said Senator Yaw. "Commonwealth employees should not be permitted to choose the winners of state contracts and then leave the government to work for one of those companies. Allowing that to happen flies in the face of good public policy."

Senator Yaw's legislation would impose a two-year waiting period for employees who are responsible for the awarding of state contracts – or the development of policies or requirements relating to these contracts – and who want to work for a company to which their agency has awarded a contract.

A similar two-year waiting period would apply to private-sector employees who want government jobs inside an agency their company has contracted with.

"As the auditor general recently uncovered, the revolving door currently works in both directions," Senator Yaw said. "And it should be stopped in both directions."