The N.C. House Finance Committee, with some reservations, passed a lobbying reform bill Tuesday after two days of hearings.
The legislation would tighten disclosure requirements for lobbyists of the legislative and executive branches of government. It would also place limits on gifts for public officials and make sure lawmakers and agency heads could not go to work as lobbyists for at least one year after leaving their government positions.
The bill also seeks to close the so-called “goodwill lobbying” loophole. Under current law, lobbyists may entertain lawmakers at unlimited expense, as long as no specific legislation is discussed. Gifts to lawmakers or their families worth more than $10 would have to be reported under the proposed law. Lobbyists would have to file reports with the secretary of state monthly while the General Assembly is in session; quarterly when it is not in session.
“As far as lobbying, this is the best bill I’ve seen in 15 years,” said Rep. Paul Luebke, a Durham Democrat, during Tuesday’s hearing. “It’s a really important improvement.”
But committee members spent time the last two days debating what some perceived as a weakness in the legislation. Rep. Julia Howard, R-Davie, and Rep. Bill Faison, D-Orange, each set forth amendments that would have limited opportunities for lawmakers and high-level executive branch employees from pursuing employment within a year of leaving their government jobs. Their changes would prohibit officials from taking jobs with organizations that had benefited from legislation supported by those officials.
Opponents thought the amendments to be overly broad, and would potentially prohibit former lawmakers from working for almost anyone in the state. The current proposed legislation keeps former government employees and legislators from working only as lobbyists, or those they represent, within a year after the ends of their terms.
Still, some House members were concerned that former lawmakers could still take jobs with entities that have been helped by specific legislation. Presiding Committee Cochairman Martha Alexander, D-Mecklenburg, suggested further changes could be made to the reform bill in the Appropriations Committee or on the House floor.
The sponsor of the bill in the House, Chapel Hill Democrat Rep. Joe Hackney, said that lobbyists he has spoken to support the changes, except for a few concerns about the increased frequency of reporting. But he said most have told him, “just tell us what to do in clear terms and we’ll do it.”
The bill must pass the House Appropriations Committee and the full chamber, and then return to the Senate (where it originated) for a vote.
Paul Chesser is associate editor of Carolina Journal. Contact him at [email protected].