Activist Kit 

Top Ten List of Reforms for Georgia

 

1. Redistricting
 

Every ten years the Georgia General Assembly gets to decide who elects them. The process of redistricting in Georgia has always been an unapologetic display of self interest by the majority party and the incumbents in general. During the last few cycles, the redistricting was done so poorly that the courts ended up drawing the final lines. This practice reduces competition and favors incumbents. Governor Perdue’s Blue Ribbon Panel in 2006 presented him with a recommendation that Georgia adopt an independent redistricting commission. That needs to be put into law in time for the impending 2011 redistricting.

2. Campaign Finance
 

Money has far too much influence in politics. We need to change state law to stop the yearly escalation of contribution limits. We should place caps on use of campaign contributions to limit them to their intended use – that of allowing the recipient to conduct a competitive election to office. Stop the wholesale movement of funds from campaign to campaign, from campaign to party, and campaign to political action committees.

3. Judicial Elections
 

We elect our judges in Georgia. That means they must raise money to achieve and retain office. The money raised is sometimes excessive and may come with strings attached. We need to find ways to keep the judiciary impartial and insulated from the pressure of partisan and ideological politics. Judges aren’t like other politicians. Their job is to fairly and impartially interpret our laws. We advocate for meaningful changes to judicial election financing that will keep our faith in the rule of law, the most fundamental tenet of our society.

4. Conflict of Interest
 

We have laws that require public officials to serve the public’s interest above their own. There is practically no enforcement of this in Georgia short of criminal prosecution. We need to create mechanisms – ethics boards at all levels of government -- where citizens have recourse when a public official steps over the line and acts in a conflicted manner.

5. Gifts from Lobbyists
 

Georgia places no limits on what a lobbyist can give a candidate or office holder. These gifts often involve dinners and travel. Other states are placing caps on these practices. In 2005, Florida completely banned lobbyist gifts. Governor Perdue proposed a $25 limit in his ethics reform package which passed in 2005, but the General Assembly removed that provision. We should put lobbyist gift limits into Georgia law.

6. Open Government
 

Georgia has a good legal framework to insure both open meetings and open records, an essential tool in holding government accountable. Over the years, many exceptions have crept into law, and the enforcement provisions of the law are vague. Citizens who encounter stonewalling by government bodies have too little effective recourse. The open records and open meeting statute needs an overhaul to address these problems.

7. Fiscal Accountability
 

Far too often, government in Georgia asks taxpayers to fund a certain project or public endeavor, collects the money, and then uses it for something else. The abuse starts in state government where funds collected specifically for use by a particular agency are diverted to the general fund. Local governments impose surcharges on fines and authorize special local option sales taxes (SPLOSTs) earmarked for a particular use, but often all the funds never reach their intended use. We need stronger statutory requirements that will reduce the misuse of tax money by giving citizens administrative and judicial recourse when government fails to do what it promises with the money it collects.

8. Non-partisan races
 

Georgia’s judges are elected in non-partisan elections, and that serves us well. We think the people of Georgia would be better served if other elected offices were non-partisan as well. Having prosecutors (County DAs and City Solicitors) identify with a party serves little use and raises the question of whether decisions on whom to prosecute might be political. Surveyors and court clerks have no reason to be branded by party. Other elective offices such as Sheriffs, County Commissions and City Councils across Georgia could also become non-partisan positions. Most of the work of local government is delivering basic services and has nothing to do with partisan issues. The cost to local government to conduct two rounds of elections is significant. Moreover, many communities have difficulty finding enough qualified candidates willing to run, and dividing them into two camps raises an even greater challenge.

9. Ballot Access
 

Georgia is one of the most difficult states in the country for independent and third party candidates to get on the ballot. There has not been a third party candidate for Congress in Georgia since 1964, and there has not been in independent congressional candidate since the current access laws were put in place in 1943. The two major parties should not always be the only choices candidates have when voting in partisan races, and declaring oneself to be Democrat or Republican should not be a prerequisite for running for office. We need to change the law to be closer to other states in setting thresholds for ballot access.

10. Revolving Door
 

Public service should not be an inside track to high-paying jobs that capitalize on knowledge and relationships acquired while working in elective or appointive office. There is a waiting period for legislators before coming back as a lobbyist, but no restrictions on most other public servants. We should extend the existing revolving door restrictions to longer wait periods and include more high level appointed and career positions in the group that must wait before coming back into government as a lobbyist.