House Bill 142
What does it mean:
- Would ban gifts from lobbyists to individual public officials. Such gifts include meals, travel, golf, football tickets and more.
- Would require volunteer advocates to register just like high-powered paid lobbyists if they come to the Capitol more than five days annually on behalf of an organization and press for legislative action.
- Would allow unlimited travel for "official duties," although officials would have to pay their own airfare.
What ethics reformers want:
- A $100 gift cap.
- A $750 cap on travel, with exceptions.
- No registration requirements on advocates.
In-depth coverage
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has covered the push for ethics reform every step of the way with investigative reporting looking into how our public officials interact with lobbyists, where the system fails and how other states have done it better. As the Legislature wrestles with how to overhaul the system, the AJC will continue to provide in-depth coverage you will not find anywhere else.
Georgians will know Wednesday just what form state senators think ethics reform should take.
But there are only six days left in the General Assembly’s annual 40-day session. The fate of historic legislation that would for the first time place limits on influence under the Gold Dome could get caught up in a House-Senate clash.
State House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, wants to ban lobbyists’ gifts to individual legislators. Yet proponents of a $100 gift cap are likely to hold sway as a Senate committee continues to work on ethics reform legislation. Its proposal will be released Wednesday in committee, with a vote expected to keep the legislation moving through the chamber.
The conflict represents the most significant roadblock to a signature issue this year that has been overwhelmingly backed by voters.
“Why are y’all waiting this late to address this bill?” asked Morgan County real estate executive Ray Boyd, who was among citizen advocates, lobbyists and state officials testifying Tuesday for more than two hours before the Senate Rules Committee. “In South Georgia, we call this throwing bull crap up against the wall” and seeing what sticks.
House Bill 142, introduced by Ralston in late January, would eliminate most one-on-one dinners and other types of gifts lobbyists have traditionally showered on state lawmakers — the pricey wine-and-steak dinners, select SEC athletic passes and prime seats for Falcons and Braves games.
But it would also preserve some spending described by Rep. Rich Golick, R-Smyrna, as both customary and rare. Those exceptions include the dozens of group dinners currently paid for by lobbyists for committees, caucuses and delegations, as well as most lobbyist-funded travel.
Golick, who shepherded the bill through the House, where it passed Feb. 25, said most of these exceptions are for once-a-year functions where lawmakers mingle with constituents.
“If the ordinary custom and practice wasn’t once a year, then it probably wouldn’t be in the bill at all,” he said.
But senators, who passed a rule on the first day of the session in early January capping their own gifts at $100, expressed concerns about some of the bill’s loopholes.
Sen. Fran Millar, R-Atlanta, said the exceptions allowing lobbyists unfettered spending on local delegations could cause trouble, since nearly 70 lawmakers are the sole delegates to counties around the state. That would mean a single lawmaker could still accept pricey meals and drinks from a lobbyist by claiming it was a delegation function, he said.
“It could be abused,” Golick acknowledged to audible laughter in the packed committee room of about 85 people. “There is an element of good faith that has to operate here.”
Both sides leading up to Tuesday’s hearing have championed their position on gifts as the correct one. During the hearing, senators again touted their $100 gift cap as a true expression of reform, saying it allows a token show of appreciation — a cup of coffee or basic meal — without flouting common sense. Records show spending overall is down, but all the kinks haven’t been worked out.
Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson, allowed a lobbyist last week to cover a $219 lunch when 35 university students from her district visited on a field trip to the Capitol. Such sponsored lunches are common and also occur in the House, but the House has no rules against it. The Senate’s rule doesn’t directly address such a scenario.
“I never did think about it,” said Sims, who said she would refund the lobbyist in order to avoid any question of rule-breaking. “As servants of the people, we need to understand what we can and can’t do.”
Another apparent violation shows an emerging problem of having different rules on lobbyist spending in the House and Senate.
Last week, Sen. Lester Jackson, D-Savannah, joined three House members and a lobbyist from Windstream Communications for dinner, the cost of which ran just under $130 per person. Jackson said Tuesday he intentionally kept his meal below the $100 threshold, and the lobbyist erred by dividing the total meal evenly among himself and the three representatives. The House members didn’t face a cap on their meal.
“I told them I wanted a $40 meal, didn’t want any drinks. The House members laughed,” he said. “In no way have I violated any laws. It is clear to me that the lobbyist didn’t understand the rules of the Senate.”
Tuesday’s hearing represented the first time the Senate has heard from the public on HB 142, as well as a companion House Bill 143 that, among other changes, requires lawmakers to quickly report campaign contributions they take just before the legislative session starts.
Many in the audience also remained concerned about a much-publicized provision in HB 142 requiring unpaid advocates to register as lobbyists, if they come to the Capitol more than five days annually on behalf of an organization and press for legislative action.
Kay Godwin, a longtime conservative activist, said the provision hurt her feelings.
“It was a complete insult to me, because I think we have made a tremendous difference over the years,” she said. Godwin is part of a coalition of advocates pressing for reform who gained traction when Democratic and Republican voters overwhelmingly supported limiting lobbyist gifts in nonbinding referendums during last year’s party primaries.
In a compromise from the House’s original position, Golick asked the Senate to amend HB 142 to remove a proposed $30 cost for lobbyist registration. Golick said Ralston now believes the cost is unfair.
“If you take a step back, it’s really not the right approach,” he said.
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