Joint panel to launch ethics study; lobbyists want to help

A joint House-Senate panel will explore such things as disclosure of lobbying activities or whether the state needs an independent ethics commission, Naifeh said Tuesday.

Gov. Phil Bredesen said he also will work on the issue and may call a special legislative session this fall to finalize new ethics laws if it appears he can muster bipartisan support.

Tennessee lobbyists say they may pitch their own plans for tightening up ethics in their profession, hoping to reach a consensus with the governor and lawmakers in the wake of the federal “Tennessee Waltz” sting operation.

The FBI charged four lawmakers and one former state senator with bribery and extortion. Bredesen said the public has been pressing him since the arrests for tougher laws guiding lobbying and ethics rules.

“When I go to Home Depot, it’s what people want to talk about,” he said, noting phone and e-mail traffic to his office has increased dramatically.

The Tennessee Lobbyist Association is going to form its own ethics proposals. Some of the ideas could include mandatory ethics courses for lobbyists instructing them on state laws surrounding lobbying, said Mark Greene, who serves as the group’s spokesman.

“It’s possible that the TLA may come out with its own package,” Greene said. “What we are looking for is consensus.”

Greene said he is meeting with Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley to discuss some ideas and find out what Bredesen has planned.

Greene said his group will only be opposed to disclosure laws that would force them to report the amount of money they earn.

“I think this climate is one where we are going to see significant change,” said Greene. “We are trying to understand that; we recognize the pressure the lawmakers are under. We are willing to work with them to come up with significant changes.”

The TLA is open to the idea of disclosing money spent wining and dining lawmakers, an idea that got snuffed out in the Legislature this year and is being revisited by Bredesen. But lobbyists would prefer to simply report the total amount spent entertaining rather than a detailed report.

Bredesen has said he prefers the detailed report, similar to campaign expenditure reports. The governor said it makes sense to disclose which lawmakers were taken to dinner, how much was spent and what was discussed.

The governor said Tuesday he will be bringing in people from outside the usual list of policy-makers to help guide him on ethics legislation. He said they will include the likes of preachers, businessmen and others.

Bredesen said he is looking for a “model law” among the ethics rules found around the country.

Naifeh said he is not opposed to Bredesen’s idea of holding a special session. Naifeh and Bredesen said the work of the special legislative committee will help decide of a special session is needed.

“If through some combination of the legislative committee that is going to be working this summer and the group we are putting together, if we come up with some useful things to do, … then it’s my inclination to go ahead and try do it in a special session when people can sit down and focus on it and it has a spotlight on it,” Bredesen said.

The Legislature passed one tough new ethics laws this past session aimed at the activities of former Sen. John Ford, banning consulting and lobbying for companies doing business with the state. Lawmakers also will have to more fully disclose their income sources.

Other proposals, such as more disclosure around lobbying, failed. But that was before the May 26 sting that resulted in seven arrests on corruption charges.

“When something this widespread happens it makes you question, well OK, is there something we’re doing or things we are permitting that are creating an environment that is easier for this kind of thing to happen and are there things we should be doing to tighten it up,” Bredesen said.