Even though there are a few days remaining in the 2011 Georgia legislative session, it is clear that there will be no meaningful ethics legislation this year. The Georgia Alliance for Ethics Reform was created because the Georgia Ethics in Government Act needs a wholesale upgrade. But some legislators seem too comfortable to forgo their legislative lifestyle, with its free travel, sports events and concerts — so much so that it is preventing them from doing what’s right.
Some legislators are truly open to reform and see the real disconnect between voters’ expectations and legislative action. Other lawmakers feel the benefits of their legislative lifestyle are “just part of the deal.” The taxpayers are told that putting limits on lobbyist gifts would “just cause them to go underground” and “we worked on ethics last session, let’s give the new law time to work.” Those are merely excuses. Sadly, such statements show the lack of desire to bring meaningful change. But, with over $602,000 spent by lobbyists on gifts to members of the General Assembly and their families and staff in January and February alone, why wouldn’t they cling to their legislative lifestyle?
The real disconnect is with the Republican leadership. Despite reassurances early in the session that they would work with us on some of our issues, not a single Republican has stepped forward to support true improvements to the state’s ethics laws. They have denied the opportunity for effective bills to be heard (Democrats have offered strong options). So far, we’re regressing — one bill that weakens the Ethics Act has passed both chambers (HB 232, which weakens the disclosure requirements for local elected officials). It was signed into law last week by Gov. Nathan Deal. Another bill has passed the Senate (SB 160, which would open the floodgates of utilities’ money to legislators from corporate treasuries).
The only glimmer of hope for true ethics reform is the promise from Senate Ethics Committee Chairman John Crosby to create a “subcommittee to conduct hearings later this year on a broad range of suggested ethics reform.”
Is this a tactic to further stall true ethics reform or a step in the right direction toward real change? If they want ethics reform, Georgians must engage in the subcommittee’s process and let their voices be heard later this year and into the next legislative session.
William Perry is executive director of Common Cause Georgia.
