Georgia Alliance for Ethics Reform Backs Comprehensive Ethics Reform Bill
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - The Georgia Alliance for Ethics Reform is pushing for a comprehensive ethics reform bill to be introduced during the 2013 Legislative Session.
Members of the alliance, plus Senator Josh McKoon (R), held the first of nine town hall-style meetings throughout the state Tuesday night at Macon City Hall to get feedback from citizens on how the bill should be presented.
This came about after Republicans and Democrats were asked on primary ballots over the summer whether they supported limiting lobbyist gifts to legislators. Eighty-seven percent of Republicans and 72% of Democrats said they supported limiting those gifts.
Senator McKoon says the planned legislation will have four separate bills.
"There'll be a comprehensive bill, there'll be the gift limit bill--the $100 limit that there's been so much discussion about, and then two constitutional amendments. One would regulate and dedicate funding for the ethics commission and another would authorize a statewide grand jury (that) the Attorney General could convene to investigate corruption," says McKoon.
The next stop on the town hall tour will be in Columbus on November 27th.
The meetings will end in Atlanta in mid-December, by which time McKoon says he plans to pre-file the final legislation. The state's Legislative Session will begin on January 14th.
After McKoon pre-files, citizens can view the proposed legislation at www.legis.ga.gov.
The Georgia Alliance for Ethics Reform includes Common Cause Georgia, Georgia Conservatives in Action, Georgia Tea Party Patriots, League of Women Voters in Georgia and Georgia Watch.
