Lobbying ethics legislation not dead yet

NASHVILLE (AP) — Lawmakers say they will try again next week to reach an agreement on legislation that would shed light on how lobbying money is spent.

Proponents say a number of ideas still have a chance, although leaders say their best bet may be a watered-down disclosure bill that only requires lobbyists to report the money they spend lobbying — not how much is spent on each lawmaker.

Many proposals could be brought back into play, ranging from the broad disclosure on lobbying money to a complete ban on lawmakers taking gifts and meals from lobbyists.

A Senate panel already closed for the year in anticipation that lawmakers would go home by the end of the month decided to schedule one last ethics hearing for Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, is a key vote on getting ethics legislation out of a Senate State and Local Government committee that has been locked in partisan votes. He said lawmakers will make a legitimate effort to finalize something next week.

“We’re going to make sure we work with the House to get something passed,” he said.

Right now, two different lobbying ethics bills have advanced in the House and the Senate. Lawmakers would need to agree on which one to endorse, and hash out exactly what it would do.

House Majority Leader Kim McMillan, D-Clarksville, said she has been disappointed with partisan maneuvering on the bills.

She is sponsoring one version of ethics legislation that was headed for a floor vote in the House before Ramsey helped lead an effort to shuffle it to the side in the Senate.

Sen. Diane Black, a Hendersonville Republican carrying a lobbying ethics bill favored by GOP lawmakers, said she doesn’t have a sense for what version has the best chance of clearing both chambers.

Black said it’s just a good sign the door hasn’t been completely closed on lobbying money disclosures.

“I just think it’s good public policy that the people of this state of Tennessee know how much money is being used here on the hill to influence legislation,” she said.

Ramsey, like many lawmakers, thinks it was a big victory to get the first round of ethics legislation to the governor’s desk earlier this month. That measure bans public officials from taking consulting deals with state contractors and has already been signed by Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Ethics has dominated much of this year’s legislative session following revelations that Sen. John Ford, D-Memphis, has several lucrative consulting deals linked to state contractors. The debate caught many lawmakers by surprise.

“I think we have already passed very, very meaningful legislation,” Ramsey said. “If there was nothing else that passed this year, we’ve done a great job in stepping forward.”

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On the Net:

Read HB1137/SB0549, HB1133/SB535 and SB1251/HB1086 at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/