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Lawmakers drop bid for House to disclose gifts from lobbyists Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Two legislators who had been pushing for ethics reform in the state House said Tuesday they have abandoned a proposed rule requiring House members to report gifts of any cost from lobbyists. Reps. Dan Greenberg, R-Little Rock, and Steve Harrelson, D-Texarkana, said they would not pursue the issue as planned Thursday at a House caucus because there has been no groundswell of citizen support and a two-thirds vote among colleagues "is not realistic at this point." "We just didn't have the votes," Harrelson said in an interview. "Some of the people I thought would be in our corner raised some legitimate concerns about some of the elements of the proposal." Harrelson said he and Greenberg plan to work with fellow lawmakers between now and the 2009 legislative session on ethics reform that everyone can support. The Texarkana lawmaker said he met last week with Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, who has said he is considering filing ethics reform legislation in the 2009 session, and plans to get input from fellow House members. Harrelson said any ethics reform should affect all sectors of government, and not just be limited to the House. His and Greenberg's proposed rule change would have affected only House members. House Speaker Benny Petrus has called the House caucus to meet Thursday to consider some technical changes to House rules. Rep. Pam Adcock, D-Little Rock, has said she plans to propose a House rule banning smokeless tobacco from the House chamber and committee rooms. Harrelson and Greenberg announced their proposed House rule just last week. They said their proposal was similar to legislation Petrus filed during this year's regular legislative session. The measure passed the House but died in a Senate committee. The House speaker's bill would have required lobbyists to report details to the state when they spend money on lawmakers. Currently, legislators can receive up to $100 in gifts, food or other items a day from an individual lobbyist, and lobbyists are required to report to the state when they spend more than $40 on a legislator in a day. Petrus, however, said last week he wasn't sure he could support the Greenberg-Harrelson proposal. He said was concerned that the rule would be difficult to police, and that any such ethics rule should be imposed legislatively and not be limited to just House members. "Let's face it, they don't want ethics reform," Greenberg said Tuesday. |
