Flowers, Baria file Ethics in Lobbying Bill
An Ethics in Lobbying bill filed by Senators Merle Flowers (R-Olive Branch) and David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) on Monday significantly reforms lobbying in Mississippi. The bipartisan bill bans the use of general funds to hire lobbyists, addresses public document retention, and places restrictions on campaign contributions to legislators. Flowers and Baria held a joint press conference at the Capitol on Monday to explain the bill.
Flowers chairs the Senate Ethics Committee and Baria serves as Sub-Committee chairman of government accountability. Last November, the Ethics Committee held an exhaustive two-day hearing into the use of public funds by state agencies to hire contract lobbyists. Institutions of Higher Learning Board President Amy Whitten and former executive director Dr. Tom Meredith were subpoenaed to testify. The hearings uncovered that almost two million dollars of public funds had been spent on contract lobbyists in recent years by various state agencies.
The Flowers-Baria bill, Senate Bill 2731, bans the use of general public funds for lobbying purposes by state agencies. The bill also requires the Personal Services Contract Review Board to pre-approve any special fund agencies that engage contract lobbyists. In an effort to strengthen restrictions on lobbying transparency, the bill expands the definition of lobbying to include a legislator’s spouse, child, or staff member. A task force will be created to develop policies for state agency document retention. The bill will also make it illegal for legislators to receive campaign contributions during legislative sessions.
“We believe Mississippians will benefit greatly from this bill by making government more transparent and eliminating wasteful spending,” said Flowers. “In the age of divisive political bickering in Washington, DC, it is refreshing to be able to put aside differences of opinion and work for the people of Mississippi, as Senator Baria and I have done with this lobbying reform legislation,” said Flowers.
Senator Baria coordinated much of the six-month investigation that led to the Ethics Committee hearings on lobbying reform. “Any time the legislature can improve a citizen’s ability to monitor their own government and make it more accountable, that’s a positive step forward,” said Baria.
The Mississippi legislature adopted Ethics reform last year that made significant changes to nepotism, open records, and open meetings statutes.
MS Senate Press Release
1/19/8
