Previously, Sen. Ramsey described the proposed improvements to the open records law as "way too stringent." Not exactly the kind of words the electorate wants to hear from elected officials sent to Nashville to work on their behalf.
First, the good news: Thanks to changes to state ethics laws, a watchdog group has moved Tennessee from 44th in the nation to 32nd in how much lawmakers are required to disclose about their business and financial interests.
Now, the bad news: Despite its improved ranking, the Volunteer State still has an F grade, scoring only 57.5 out of 100 possible points for disclosure requirements.
The ranking came out this week from the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity.
Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey, who is chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, said the General Assembly has "really taken great strides" recently on what its members are required to disclose to the public.
"We've gone from generalities, like saying you work in 'consulting' or 'real estate,' to disclosing the name of the company you work for," the Blountville Republican said. "We've made it illegal to do consulting, and we've lowered from $1,000 to $200 the financial investment or interest in a business you have to have for it to be disclosed."
[State gets good, bad news in latest ethics ranking - Tennessean - 04-22-06]
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