July 12, 2005

Secret Meetings

NewsChannel5's Phil Williams finds evidence the FBI missed in its investigation of the corruption of former state Sen. John Ford - and a prime example, too, of the too-cozy relationship lobbyists and Tennessee's legislators. Williams unearthed a memo from top lobbyist Betty Anderson - who just happens to be the wife of House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh - in which she encourages Ford to very quietly call a meeting of a Senate committee he chairs - to skip announcing the meeting publicly and only call the meeting by directly inviting the members. "Why don't we do that," Anderson suggests.

Well, Mrs. Naifeh, it's because meetings of legislative committees really ought not to be kept secret from the people of Tennessee.

Betty Anderson's memo is prime proof of why lobbyists should have no say in any future ethics reform affecting the Tennessee legislature.