I have recently heard and read many inaccuracies on the issue of our state’s ethics laws, particularly the ethics requirements governing the General Assembly, and I would like to set the record straight. People that know me know that I am a facts based person, so let me first provide a few of the facts. In 2010 many Georgia House members and I proudly joined with House Speaker David Ralston in his first year as Speaker to pass the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act of 2010, meaningful legislation that helped restore the public’s trust in state government.
Besides discounting the reforms enacted in recent years, I have read many misleading articles in different publications recently. For example, a recent letter to the editor published in the June 3rd edition of the Cherokee Tribune offered a fabricated quote from Speaker Ralston falsely claiming he said, “ethics reform is a liberal cause backed by liberal groups and the liberal media, and conservatives who join the campaign for ethics reform are being played for suckers in an attempt to divide the Republican Party.” This sentence appears to have been lifted straight from a column published in an Atlanta newspaper. To be clear and factual, those words belonged to the Atlanta columnist, not to Speaker Ralston.
The same letter to the editor went on to claim that, “Georgia won the ‘least ethical’ state government in 2012.” Again, not true or factual. While it may be sensational to claim such made-up titles, a recent study by the Daily Beast based on a decades worth of data collected by the FBI, showed that Georgia actually ranks in the bottom 25 percent of all states when measuring public corruption.
If an award for “least ethical state government did exist,” it would likely go to one of our neighboring states. In fact, a report recently released by Integrity Florida, a nonpartisan group, found that Florida led the nation in federal corruption convictions from 2000 to 2010. According to Integrity Florida’s Executive Director, Florida’s top-spot ahead of more populous states shows Florida is “clearly the No. 1 state for public corruption.”
The misinformation recently published has even alleged that the Speaker “warns that if gifts over $100 are outlawed, those very same ‘good people’ would begin to accept those gifts under the table, in violation of the law.” There is not a better way to describe this type of statement than to call it what it is: another outright fabrication, not facts.
Now, let me tell you what we have really done. In 2010, Speaker Ralston’s first year as House Speaker, we ensured that legislation was signed into law to increase reporting requirements for candidates, public officials, and doubled reporting requirements for lobbyists. In addition, fines for certain violations were increased dramatically. The transparency and campaign finance commission’s jurisdiction was expanded to include all locally elected officials for the first time. The state’s felony bribery statutes were toughened with heavier fines up to $100,000 and imprisonment. This legislation established new laws governing conflicts of interest and abuses of official power. A final provision of the bill prevented convicted felons from registering as lobbyists. In 2011, we went a step further and passed a bill to require that legislative staff be included in lobbyist reporting requirements.
This year, the General Assembly increased funding for the commission by $225,000, so it could continue fulfilling its important mission. After this latest round of funding, the commission has seen a 63 percent increase in state funding to support the commission since the GOP cemented its control of state government in 2005 despite the economic downturn, which caused many agencies to see deep cuts.
It is my hope that anyone who engages in speaking for or against public officials and/or policy will use facts to support their positions and will avoid lies, fabrications, distortions and deceit. We live in a great state and have so much to be thankful for. I know most Georgians appreciate the hard work and efforts that public officials make on their behalf and they definitely deserve to hear the real story. I am proud to serve the citizens of Georgia in the Georgia House of Representatives and to represent the citizens of Cherokee and Forsyth counties. God bless you and your families.
Representative Mark Hamilton represents the citizens of District 23, which includes parts of Cherokee and Forsyth counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2006 and currently serves as Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Energy, Utilities, & Telecommunications, Industrial Relations, and Transportation committees.
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