Public asks ethics panel for lobbying reform, open government

An engaged crowd of about 50 citizens, along with a few lobbyists and elected officials, told the panel that they want big changes in the wake of the “Tennessee Waltz” corruption sting.

Recommendations included such ideas as a full ban on lobbying to public financing of political campaigns to make sure special interest money is kept in check.

Although panel leaders said such ideas would probably be shot down in the courts on constitutional challenges, they said it reflected a strong sentiment that Tennesseans are expecting strong action to clear up a perception that the system is broken.

Former Attorney General Mike Cody, who co-chairs the Citizen Advisory Group on Ethics with former Senate Republican Leader Ben Atchley, said they have received almost 1,000 comments and ideas from citizens across the state on top of comments made at public hearings like the one held Tuesday in Lebanon.

The panel said it will be finalizing its recommendations as early as Thursday at a meeting in Memphis.

Cody said they almost certainly will be pitching such ideas as setting up an independent ethics commission that has the authority to investigate transgressions, along with more rules for lobbyists and campaign finance.

Many on the panel, along with citizens and activists in the crowd, say the best elixir for fixing the perception of rampant corruption would be stronger open government laws.

The legislature needs to comply with open meetings laws. And such information as campaign finance records and the money companies spend lobbying government need to be easily available.

“Maybe the best we can do is transparency, full disclosure and ways to cross-check quickly over the Internet,” Cody said.

Right now, the legislature is not bound to the state’s open meeting laws. Worse, said Ben Cunningham of the Tax Revolt Group, the legislature doesn’t even publicly record its members’ votes.

“This is all really an issue of access,” he said. “The perception out there … is that it is not open and it needs to be opened up.”

Lobbyists took a beating at the meeting.

Citizens and some officials argued that lobbyists and businesses spend a lot of money to influence legislation that might not be the best deal for the public — and they deserve to face strict scrutiny.

“They are trying to influence legislation to impact their companies in a profitable manner,” said Grover L. Porter, a Tennessee State University accounting professor.

Lobbyists have been fighting any proposed rules that would require them to disclose their salaries.

All of the proposals will eventually head to the legislature, which has the final say in drafting any new ethics laws. Gov. Phil Bredesen said he may use his panel’s report to call lawmakers in for a special session.

Almost everyone at the hearing agreed that some sort of independent enforcement commission is needed to watch over elected officials.

“We have rules, but we don’t have anyone to enforce them,” said Steve Sudbury of Gallatin. “The Tennessee citizens have been on the short end of the stick long enough.”

Bredesen wants a final report from his panel by the end of this month.

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On the Net:

Gov. Phil Bredesen’s ethics commission Web site: http://www.tennessee.gov/governor/Ethics.do