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Sunday, March 05, 2006

Ind. Gov't. - Two stories today on lobby reform in the Indiana General Assembly

"Bosma mum on lobby-reform plans" is the headline to this story today by Lesley Stedman Weidenbener in the Louisville Courier Journal. Some quotes:

Even before the Indiana General Assembly finishes its work for this year, House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, is already looking ahead to the 2007 session.

Bosma has decided not to act this year to end lobbyist-funded out-of-state trips for lawmakers, something the Senate abruptly eliminated earlier this year.

Instead, Bosma said on Friday that he will wait until next year and tackle not just the issue of trips but of lobby reform in general.

In fact, the speaker said he'll work with fellow leaders on proposals about lobby activities, financial disclosures and even campaign finance reform.

He wouldn't give up any details last week. * * * But he was willing to drop just this one hint. "Some of our disclosure rules are well intended but not very effective," he said.

Steve Walsh reports today in the Gary Post-Tribune, in a story headlined "House travels own path on perks." Some quotes:
Indiana House members will leave their travel plans wide open this summer as the House speaker opted not to ban lobbyist-paid junkets this session.

Earlier in the session, the Senate voted to change its ethics rules and ban senators from taking trips funded by lobbyists. Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton said it was in reaction to the wave of ethical reform and soul searching, after the indictment of high-priced lobbyist Jack Abramoff for his lobbying in the U.S. Congress.

After mulling the issue for more than a week, Speaker of the House Brian Bosma said Friday that the House will not follow the Senate and ban trips paid for by lobbyists.

“Rather than do a knee-jerk, two-liner change to our ethics rules, perhaps it’s time to take a broader look took at ethics rules and laws that govern lawmakers in the state of Indiana,” Bosma said.

The speaker did not commit to any specific changes or even commit directly to studying the reform over the summer. Bosma instead hinted at the need for better disclosure of lobby expenses.

“Some of our disclosure laws are well-intended but perhaps not very effective. We’re going to look at a whole variety of things,” Bosma said. Indiana’s lobby laws are based mainly on disclosure.

Unlike Congress, the General Assembly does not limit the amount of gifts or free meals that lawmakers or their staffers can accept from lobbyists. While the executive branch reports to the state Ethics Commission, lawmakers are subject to the rules put in place by their chambers through their ethics committees. Lobbyists must then disclose the amount they spend to influence legislation with the Indiana Lobby Registration Commission, which keeps records on file and places copies on the Internet.

The records are often difficult to read. The commission did not have a list of how much lobbyists spent on each lawmaker, including who traveled out of state.

Compiling a list requires a painstaking search of hundreds of individual reports from registered lobbyists. * * *

The Senate ban followed an ethical arms race that broke out during the 2006 session, after the House ended its participation in a plan that gave lawmakers low-cost health insurance for life, after only six years in the General Assembly. The Senate tweaked its plan but kept the benefit and a day later, unveiled the travel ban.

The travel ban may have been the high-water mark. Though Senate trips are banned, Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Joe Zakas has already been polling members of his committee to see how far the restrictions will go. The weekend after the ban took place, he asked members if travel expenses should include meals, hotel rooms, golf greens fees, or only the cost of traveling, such as flights.

“I don’t think eating a meal is travel,” he said. It will take time for the new restrictions to be defined, he said. “Every year we meet and talk about a variety of things. We’ll have to see how the committee looks at this,” he said.

Note: This long story contains much important detail - be sure to read it today, as the Gary Post-Tribune does not archive its stories.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 5, 2006 10:38 AM
Posted to Indiana Government | Legislative Benefits