The Commercial Appeal out of Shelby County/Memphis has this story in today’s paper. It appears that Senator Bill Ketron R-Murfreesboro and House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada of College Grove have introduced a bill to abolish the enforcement agency of the four and a half month old Tennessee Ethics Commission.
Instead they want the Registry of Election Finance to take over all of the investigative, enforcement and record keeping functions. They are saying this is to consolidate and remove duplication.
My only issue is that 1) This should have been proposed at the same time of the legislation creating the Ethics Commission. (Maybe it was, in that case try it for longer than 4 months) 2) If the Registry had a proven track record of being effective it would be different.
It appears that Ketron had some bogus claims made against him prior to the November election and that this maybe in response to that. I am disappointed with Casada when asked about the 30 day blackout period, proposed in the bill, he was unaware of that provision in the legislation. Didn’t you read it before you signed on to carry it in the house.
The BIG bottom line is that the Ethics Commission will not be effective, but it makes us Republicans look bad when try to scrap the darn thing 4 months out.
The TSBA Tennessee School Boards Association has had an Ethics Commission, it’s operation and effectiveness is about as effective as Tennessee’s Vote No on Homosexual Marriage initiative. The Vote NO campaign garnered 20% of the statewide vote .
