by Sen. Rosalind Kurita
posted August 1, 2005
Ethics fever has hit Capitol Hill. Lawmakers have been indicted. Legislators are offering a proposal here and an idea there.
It will take more than any one new law or any independent panel can accomplish to change the culture on Capitol Hill. The time has come for real reform. Tennessee doesn’t need more half-measures and face-saving bills. We need comprehensive reform and we need it now.
That’s why I’ve developed a plan I’m calling “Everything Under the Sun.” My plan is an 11-point proposal designed to bring every aspect of the public’s business into the sunshine. When I say everything under the sun, I mean everything.
The guiding principle I used when developing this proposal is a statement from Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis who said, “Sunshine is the best disinfectant of them all.”
Here’s what that means.
It means every meeting of every committee at the legislature is an open meeting. No secret budget meetings. No secret meetings about killing bills. Every meeting must be open.
It means changing the work schedule. The current practice at the General Assembly is for legislators to come into session on Monday at 5 p.m., meet for less than an hour, and collect a full day’s pay. Most Tennesseans I know work full days – 8, 10, 12 hours, sometimes a double shift.
This lax schedule encourages time spent with lobbyists instead of with constituents. It serves the special interests, not the people’s interests.
It’s time we changed the schedule. We need to have full work days on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We need to change the schedule that works for the lobbyists and move to a schedule that works for the people of Tennessee.
Another way to shed light on the legislature’s proceedings is to allow easy access to a legislator’s voting record. If you want to know how your legislator voted, it shouldn’t take knowing who to call and what to ask. All votes should be easily accessible online.
Lobbyists spend thousands of dollars each year attempting to influence legislation. No one knows how much because they don’t have to disclose. Under my plan, full lobbyist disclosure would be required. Lobbyists should disclose how much they are paid, by whom, and for what purposes. The public has a right to know who is spending money, and how much they are spending to influence public policy in Tennessee.
Other key elements of my proposal include:
Putting the Senate on television
Closing the revolving door that allows legislators to become lobbyists
Limiting PAC contributions so wealthy donors can’t buy elections
Banning cash contributions to political campaigns
Opening legislators’ personnel files
Expanding the scope and authority of the Registry of Election
Giving every ethics proposal a full hearing and vote on the floor of the House and Senate – so good proposals that mean real reform can’t be killed in committee
You may hear about other legislators offering a proposal for reforming ethics. Certainly lots of people are talking about it. I’m the only legislator offering a comprehensive reform package.
It’s a package I’m willing to fight for. Some legislators and lobbyists won’t like it, but I won’t rest until Tennessee has the toughest ethics laws in America. Tennesseans deserve nothing less.
Rosalind Kurita is a Tennessee State Senator representing the 22nd District which includes Cheatham, Houston, and Montgomery counties.
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