N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Governmental Ethics Reform

McCrory's plan for government reform

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:39:25 -0400

Pat McCrory highlighted his proposals for government reform at the Tuesday session on ethics by the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform in Raleigh.

McCrory called for:

* Weekly Internet reports from campaigns showing who gave them money.

* A ban on cash contributions (now limited to $50).

* A prohibition on legislators raising money for nonprofits. Relatives of several legislators received scholarships in recent years from a nonprofit for which the lawmakers raised money.

* A requirement that legislators publicly stand up and declare their conflict of interest on a piece of legislation.

* A veto of any budget with items added in private sessions and not by the House or Senate during the regular budget process.

* No campaign fundraising by transportation, university or ABC boards.

* Public listing of all state contracts and bids.

* Public access to copies of the governor's e-mail.

McCrory turns down a bottled water

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:09:52 -0400

Pat McCrory turned down a bottled water today.

Speaking at a gubernatorial forum sponsored by the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform, the Republican gubernatorial candidate said that he could not accept a bottle of water from the group because it has a lobbyist.

Under General Statute 163-278.13C, lobbyists cannot make contributions to political candidates.

"The bad news is I'm not allowed to eat here, or even have a drink of water according to the current legislation, and the last place I want to break the rules is at a seminar on ethics," he said.

McCrory argued that the rule, which was passed as a package of ethics reforms after the Jim Black scandal, was unnecessarily strict and focused on the wrong part of the problem.

As it turned out, McCrory was mistaken. Since legislators had been invited and the meeting was open to the public, it fell under the exemption for educational meetings in G.S. 138a-32(e)(3).

Bob Phillips, head of the N.C. chapter of Common Cause, said that he had given McCrory bad information when he arrived, and the candidate ended up eating a sandwich and having a Coke after the meeting.

Still, coalition director Jane Pinsky said she would be open to amending the law to allow gifts of less than $10, as long as it was reported promptly.

"If I buy him a cup of coffee, there's no reason I couldn't go back to my office, get on the computer and report it," she said.

Correction: It was a bottle of water, not a can of Coke as reported earlier.

Reform group attacks ethics change

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:06:18 -0400

The ethics and lobbying reforms passed two years ago allow lobbyists to provide food and drink for lawmakers at "public events."

But the events aren't actually open to the public unless the lobbyist wants it so. Nor does the public find out about them until after they've taken place, when lobbying reports are filed, Dan Kane reports.

Legislation that passed the House this week takes a baby step forward on the issue, but the fix isn't pleasing open government advocates. The bill requires a sign be posted in front of the building if the event is open to the public.

Jane Pinsky, executive director of the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Governmental Ethics Reform, said lawmakers could follow the practices of Tennessee and Maryland, which report legislative gatherings sponsored by lobbyists at least five days before the event.

"If Tennessee can put it out, if Maryland can publish it, there's no reason North Carolina can't," she said.

The purpose of advance notice, she said, is so the public knows who is trying to persuade lawmakers at the time legislation is in play.

Rep. Rick Glazier, a Fayetteville Democrat who sponsored the legislation, said he wasn't sure Tennessee and Maryland's practices would work in North Carolina. He said he also had security concerns with advance notification of lobbyist sponsored events.

The bill, which includes other fixes to the reform laws, now moves to the Senate for consideration.