Lawmakers Should Publicly Disclose Votes that Could Pad Their Wallets

By Paula Dockery

It shouldn’t be so hard to pass a law that requires state legislators to publicly disclose when they or a family member could personally benefit from legislation before them.

Yet for a third year in a row, Florida legislative leaders refuse to encourage the Ethical Practices Act (SB 438) to be heard in committee where people could finally discuss the wave of public corruption that has swept Florida.

No matter that a grand jury says Tallahassee’s culture of backroom dealing "has the potential to breed corruption." No matter that the governor has removed more than two dozen public officials in three years because of public-corruption scandals. No matter that 22 other states have passed similar legislation to try to keep public officials open and honest.

Currently, Florida lawmakers can vote on and participate in matters in which they, or a family member, stand to benefit. All they need to do is disclose such an interest within 15 days of casting their vote in a committee, or immediately following a floor vote.

So while they can persuade in public, details about their personal enrichment get an asterisk in a state journal given little public notice.

Serving in the Florida Legislature is supposed to be about public service, which means serving citizens, not serving one’s self at the public trough.

Given the climate of corruption that has engulfed our state, reform is needed now. The Ethical Practices Act is a necessary first step to try to restore public trust in Tallahassee.

Yet although 15 of my colleagues have co-sponsored the ethical reform act this year, the bill has yet to receive a committee hearing. So once again, reform is going nowhere.

Please call or write your lawmakers and encourage them to get behind this simple but needed legislation. Take to heart the words of philosopher Edmund Burke, who said: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

With your support, we can rebuild integrity in Tallahassee and get government working for the people again.

Paula Dockery is a Republican state senator from Lakeland.

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