GOP says it will stop fundraising directly before session
The Senate and House Republican caucus chairmen told The Knoxville News Sentinel they will change the date of their annual fundraising receptions to at least a month before the Jan. 10 starting date of the 2006 legislative season.
The Democratic leaders say they are considering a similar change, but some still have misgivings.
Currently, lawmakers can receive money until the legislative session starts, but are forbidden to receive money during a session. Many legislators have private fundraisers the night before it starts.
Sen. Steven Cohen, D-Memphis, earlier this month called for caucus leaders to support a ban on fundraising from Jan. 1 until the end of each session. Cohen wrote letters to all caucus chairmen to urge them to end what he called “unseemly, lobbyist-obligatory, night-before session fundraisers.”
While none of the chairmen responded directly to Cohen, Republicans said the idea was under consideration before they received Cohen’s letter. They also said they will move the fundraiser outside the Nashville area, but have not determined the exact date and place.
“We are going to lead by example,” said Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Jeff Miller of Cleveland. “I don’t necessarily subscribe to the theory that it’s tawdry now. It’s just that, in these days everybody is trying to make the public feel more at ease with the process and not to create any appearance of impropriety.”
Under current law, campaign contributions received after Dec. 31 are not reported months later. By moving the pre-session fund-raiser date into December, the receipts will have to be disclosed in January as the session is getting under way.
House Democratic Chairman Randy Rinks of Savannah said he was concerned a change wouldn’t completely resolve the ethics debate.
“If something isn’t right about it, we wouldn’t want to do it,” Rinks said. “But you’re still going to get criticized for having a fundraiser, whenever it is.”
Rinks said holding fundraisers on the even of the session is more convenient for legislators who don’t live in Nashville.
A joint ethics committee, made up of members of the state House and Senate, along with a citizen’s advisory committee appointed by the governor, are studying ways to strengthen the state’s ethics laws.
Bredesen is considering calling a special session to deal with such laws and the work of the panels is expected to be key in developing bills that would be considered.