Senator calls for extending fundraising blackout

Sen. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, said he would like to have his suggestion acted on during a special session on ethics this fall if the governor calls one.

“Imagine how tawdry the Legislature will look on the eve of a special session on ethics with each caucus hosting fundraisers at $1,000 a pop,” Cohen said Monday.

Currently, lawmakers can receive money up until the session starts, which is usually around the middle of January. Many legislators have private fundraisers the night before, which Cohen said looks bad to the public.

“It’s really not good government to have people giving you money right before the session starts,” he said.

With the recent passage of tougher ethics legislation, Cohen said his proposal would make state government even more accountable. For one, it would require lawmakers to disclose any contributions they receive before Jan. 1.

Right now, unless a lawmaker is up for re-election, a contribution made after Jan. 1 doesn’t have to be disclosed until the following January, Cohen said.

“That’s the purpose of giving disclosures,” he said, “so people can put together the dots and see if someone was influenced by money.”

Cohen said he’s suggested his reform to a special legislative panel on ethics and also sent letters earlier this month to each caucus leader. He said he hasn’t gotten a response from any of them, and none of them immediately returned a phone call Monday seeking comment.

The 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.

Earlier this month, state Democratic and Republican party officials told the panel they agree on some aspects of ethics reform and would work together to develop suggestions for lawmakers.

On Monday, however, that bipartisan relationship appeared to be breaking down.

The Democratic party sent the Republicans a letter suggesting dates the two parties could meet to discuss ethics reform, but GOP party chairman Bob Davis responded that several demands must be met “before a meeting could take place.”

Among the reforms the two parties suggested to the ethics panel earlier this month were more disclosure of fundraising and spending by elected officials and lobbyists, and limits on cash campaign contributions.