Where do they stand on real ethics reform?
Common Cause Georgia has invited all 2010 candidates for statewide office and the General Assembly to declare themselves for or against two specific ethics reform measures in 2011.
All candidates by name GA Senate candidates GA House of Representatives candidates Statewide candidates
House Bill 920, introduced last session by Rep. Wendell Willard, had 40 co-sponsors from both parties who came from all parts of the state. This legislation offered real reform that would have taken major steps forward in curbing the ability of lobbyists and special interests to use money to slant the legislative process.
Here's a list of all the members of the Georgia House who co-signed HB 920.
House Bill 920 was not passed. It never even got a committee hearing. The ethics bill that was passed in 2010 did not address any of the reforms supported in HB 920.
If we are to begin the process of changing the culture of coziness between lobbyists and elected officials in state government, two reforms in particular from HB 920 should be at the heart of any ethics reform in the state.
· $100 limit on the value of any one gift by a lobbyist to an elected official,
· $10,000 limit on total transfers from a candidate's campaign account to other candidates, parties, campaign committees and PACs
We have a chance to pass a strong ethics law in 2011 – if we get the support for reform now - when voters have a chance to know the candidates’ stand on ethics reform.
We asked over four hundred office seekers if they would support these two reforms next year if elected.
See how the candidates responded to our 2 question poll.
All candidates by name GA Senate candidates GA House of Representatives candidates Statewide candidates
Click here for a list of the candidates who responded to the survey but lost in the primary election.
Representatives signing House Bill 920 in the 2010 session of the General Assembly
Common Cause
Primary Sponsor
Wendell Wlllard (R- Sandy Springs)
Co-sponsors
Republicans (21):
Amos Amerson, Burke Day, Harry Geisinger, Bill Hembree, Cecily Hill, Doug Holt, Penny Houston, Mike Jacobs, Mike Keown, Billy Maddox, Jay Neal, Randy Nix, Jay Powell, Matt Ramsey, Tom Rice, Tony Sellier, Richard Smith, Tommy Smith, Ron Stephens, Len Walker, John Yates
Democrats (18):
Kathy Ashe, Stephanie Benfield, Ellis Black, Bob Bryant, Debbie Buckner, Rick Crawford, Elly Dobbs, Virgil Fludd, Mike Glanton, J. Craig Gordon, Sistie Hudson, Margaret Kaiser, Kevin Levitas, Mary Margaret Oliver, DuBose Porter, Barbara Massey Reece, Calvin Smyre, Brian Thomas
Independent (1):
Rusty Kidd