Legislators update chamber members on ethics reform

January 28, 2006

By BOB ROBINSON, Kingsport Times News

JOHNSON CITY - Ethics and alleged corruption in Tennessee state government were in the spotlight as state legislators and representatives of federal lawmakers briefed members of the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce on Friday.

Speaking at the chamber's legislative breakfast held at the Best Western Hotel and Conference Center, state Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, said ethics legislation now being considered by the Tennessee General Assembly in a special called session "is taking a partisan approach."

Much to his dismay, Crowe said, several senators who have been indicted have been debating ethics bills.

"It is not a matter of guilt or innocence of these lawmakers. It is a matter of dealing with the public trust," he said.

State Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, said the ethics legislation represents a "possible attack on the citizen legislature. I pledge to my constituents that I will vote and defend full and complete access to government."

According to Hill, the ethics legislation was 94 pages long when it was introduced in the legislature.

"It now has 90 amendments," said Hill, who predicted the legislation should make its way to the House floor for debate and consideration by the end of next week.

State Rep. David Davis, R-Johnson City, who is a member of the House Government Operations Committee, said he supports an "open government and an open dialogue" with constituents.

"Bribery is against the law. Five legislators are finding bribery is against the law," Davis said.

The ethics question revolves around the definition of a lobbyist and what can be taken from them.

As proposed in the ethics legislation, Davis said "a busload of people traveling to Nashville in a church bus to speak with their legislator would each have to register as a lobbyist and pay a $300 to $400 registration fee. If they didn't, they would face a $10,000 fine for failing to register as a lobbyist."

Last week, Crowe said amendment No. 64 was adopted to permit "not paid lobbyists," such as members of the chamber of commerce, AARP and church groups, to discuss proposed legislation with state lawmakers.

Crowe said he agreed with comments expressed earlier on the program by Bill Snodgrass, field representative for U.S. Rep. Bill Jenkins, that "al-Qaida terrorists" were attempting to enter the United States.

"They are going to Mexico, learning to speak Spanish, and then entering the United States illegally," he said.

To combat the problem, Crowe said he is co-sponsoring legislation with Sen. Mark Norris, R-Memphis, which he predicted would pass, to allow the Tennessee Highway Patrol to make arrests for violation of immigration laws.

Snodgrass said there are 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

"They are entering this country from places other than Mexico. Along the southern border of the U.S., people are afraid to leave their homes," he said.

Jenkins supports federal legislation to "help local and state governments patrol the border and arrest illegal immigrants. It is only illegal to cross the border. It is not illegal to be in the United States," Snodgrass said.

On the war in Iraq, Snodgrass said Iraq was making progress on several fronts, including conducting free elections, approving a constitution, electing permanent representatives with Sunni participation, having 214 security force units and 120 combat battalions trained.

"The gross domestic product (in Iraq) has doubled since 2003. Freedom is starting to appear in the Middle East," he said.