June 13, 2005

Bredesen Invites Foxes to Reform Henhouse

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, who actively ignored the critical issue of legislative/lobbyist ethics back before four sitting lawmakers were arrested on federal felony corruption charges after accepting cash bribes from a lobbyist in the Operation Tennessee Waltz FBI sting, is considering calling a special legislative session to consider ethics reform affecting lobbyists.

So who did he call in for the first prepatory meeting to talk about the shape of possible legislation? Lobbyists.

And the lobbyists are already acting as if they own the legislature and the governor's office, saying that two of the most meaningful reform ideas - lobbyist income disclosure and banning contingency fees - are off the table.

If Bredesen wants to show true leadership on this issue, here is what he will do: cancel the obscenely inappropriate meeting with the lobbyists and allow them to have no say in lobbyist/legislative ethics reform. And then propose and pass reform legislation that contains every last provision, regulation, restriction, requirement and punishment that the lobbyists don't want.
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For more scrutiny of the Bredesen record, see Bredesen Watch.