Registry head says his agency needs more help

Drew Rawlins, executive director of the State Registry of Election Finance, told lawmakers the ability to perform random audits of campaign reports, impose higher fines on lobbyists who break the rules and the ability to subpoena records would help the agency enforce state law.

And more use of electronic campaign report filing by candidates would give the registry’s four-person staff more time to work on enforcement actions.

“It would allow staff to focus on different things, other than sitting and typing in reports all day,” Rawlins said.

Committee chairman Sen. Michael Williams, R-Maynardville, said lawmakers would closely consider the registry’s wishes as it looks at ways to tighten state ethics laws.

The joint legislative committee, and a citizens advisory panel appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen, were formed after five current and former lawmakers and two lobbyists were arrested in a federal bribery sting May 26, two days before the General Assembly adjourned.

Sen. John Ford, D-Memphis, resigned shortly after his arrest, though he maintains his innocence. State Sen. Kathryn Bowers, D-Memphis, Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga and state Rep. Chris Newton, R-Cleveland, have also said they are innocent and have ignored calls for their resignations. Trials in the case are expected to begin this fall.

Bredesen is considering calling a special session of the Legislature dealing with ethics and the work of the committees will likely shape much of the legislation discussed in a special session.

Rawlins said audits of campaign reports would help ensure reports are being done correctly.

And he said increasing the maximum fine that can be assessed against lobbyists from $750 to the $10,000 maximum fine faced by legislators is a matter of equity and a deterrent to rulebreaking by lobbyists.

The subpoena power would allow the registry and its board to force people to supply records needed for review, Rawlins said.

Sen. James Kyle, D-Memphis, asked if the registry had ever been denied records it has sought.

“Yes. We’ve had people ignore our requests,” Rawlins said.

About 50 percent of candidates in the last state election filed their campaign disclosure reports electronically, he said. Those that are filed on paper must be typed in by the four-person registry staff.

Some states require campaigns that reach certain monetary levels to file reports electronically, Rawlins said. If that were adopted in Tennessee, the staff would have more time “to go beyond just the surface of the report,” in checking for possible rules violations, he said.

The committee also heard from Jennie Bowser of the National Conference of State Legislatures about states that use public financing of political campaigns. The panel adjorned until 9 a.m. Tuesday to hear a report on ethics laws nationally from NCSL expert Peggy Kerns. Representatives of the state Democratic and Republican parties are also scheduled to address the committee.