Advisory Opinion No. 99-45

Re: Maria-Luisa Vallejo

QUESTION PRESENTED

The petitioner, the Health Education Coordinator for the Women’s Breast Cancer Screening Program within the Department of Health, a state employee position, requests an advisory opinion as to whether she may advocate for and otherwise represent Latinos and other racial/ethnic minorities at the state house on non-health related topics if she does so as a volunteer, non-registered lobbyist on her own time.

RESPONSE

It is the opinion of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission that the petitioner, a state employee position, may, contemporaneous with her state employment, advocate for and otherwise represent Latinos and other racial/ethnic minorities at hearings at the state house. The Commission bases its opinion on the petitioner’s representations that she will lobby on her own time and will not lobby on any health issues which may relate to her state employment. R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 36-14-5(a), (b), and (c). In addition, the Commission bases its opinion on the fact that the petitioner does not exercise any fiscal or jurisdictional control over the General Assembly. See Commission Regulation 36-14-5008.

Code Citations:

36-14-5(a)

36-14-5(b)

36-14-5(c)

36-14-5008

Related Advisory Opinions:

98-152

97-89

97-39

96-11

95-97

Keywords:

Private Employment

Lobbying