[StBernard] Senate passes glass pockets disclosure

[Westley Annis]

Senate passes glass pockets disclosure
June 21, 2007
By John Hill
jhillbr at gannett.com

BATON ROUGE -- The Louisiana Senate upped the ante on glass pockets
legislation Wednesday, voting to require far more detailed personal
financial disclosure from all elected officials in the state.

The Senate twice voted to require Louisiana public officials to report all
income within 10 ranges, the smallest less than $1,000 and the largest
greater than $5 million, the same used by members of Congress.

 
The House must agree to the Senate change when House Bill 730 goes back to
the representatives for consideration.

"This is a chance to be No. 1," said Sen. Walter Boasso, D-Chalmette, a
candidate for governor. "Let's put something in place that's good for the
people."

The idea behind glass pockets legislation is that disclosure of all sources
of income makes it easier for the public to spot conflicts of interest.
Supporters say glass pockets legislation would help polish Louisiana's very
tarnished national political image of a corrupt state. Opponents argue that
it would be an invasion of privacy.

Senators did vote to exempt officials in jurisdictions with populations of
less than 5,000. Sen. Clo Fontenot, R-Livingston, said people in small towns
know everybody anyway.

But senators refused to accept a proposal to exempt all local officials.
State Sen. Robert Adley, D-Benton, wanted to limit the bill to the 144
legislators and nine statewide elected officials and candidates for those
offices. There are about 2,900 elected officials in the state.

"I've got towns where we are walking the streets trying to find someone to
run for mayor," Adley said. "Everybody knows what everybody does in a small
town."

But Sen. Mike Smith, D-Winnsboro, with a strong majority opposing Adley,
said if the Legislature exempted local officials, "we would be doing half
our job. We need to show the people we are open for business not for our
personal gain, but for the good of our state."

After a long line of speakers voiced opposition, Adley gave up.

As it came to the Senate floor, the bill would have required legislators to
provide the names of the sources of income and whether it was more or less
than $10,000.

But during the nearly two-hour debate, Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Livonia, won
a 19-17 vote approving requirements for more detailed descriptions of income
and for a range of checkoff boxes disclosing where the income fell.

Sen. Ann Duplessis, D-New Orleans, who handled the reform bill on the Senate
floor, joined opponents who said that such detailed ranges would cause the
House to reject the bill, putting the outcome in jeopardy as the Legislature
heads into its final week.


By constitutional mandate, the session must end by 6 p.m. June 28.
Everything not enacted by that hour dies.

Congressional jobs are full-time jobs, while legislative and many local
posts are part time, Duplessis said. "That is much more invasive," she
argued.

But senators voted 23-16 against her attempt to return the reporting
requirement to less or more than $10,000.

"The $10,000 checkoff is just a teaser," said Sen. Joe McPherson,
D-Alexandria. "They don't really know what you're making."