Warning: Constant ABSPATH already defined in /home/flanews/public_html/wp-config.php on line 34
Capitol News Service » Blog Archive » CRC Proposals to Extend Lobbying Ban on Elected Officials Temporarily Postponed

Welcome to

Capitol News Service

Florida's Best Political Coverage on Television

CRC Proposals to Extend Lobbying Ban on Elected Officials Temporarily Postponed

December 13th, 2017 by Jake Stofan
A proposal temporarily postponed by the Constitution Revision Commission Ethics Committee Wednesday, would make it harder for elected officials to cash in on their service
State lawmakers must now wait two years before becoming lobbyists, but the proposed amendment would extend the ban to six years.
In Florida, state Lawmakers are barred from lobbying the Legislature after leaving office for two years. 34 other states have similar cooling off periods.
“Right to the very minute they can come back, they’ll come back,” said Be Wilcox, with Integrity Florida.
A proposed constitutional amendment being considered by the Constitutional Revision Commission would expand Florida’s lobbying ban to six years making them the strictest in the nation. Amendment sponsor Don Gaetz says the proposal would also extend the ban to include all elected officials in the state.
“A county Commissioner could not end his term and at the next meeting of the county commission show up as the paid lobbyist for the contractor who got a sweet deal that that county commissioner proposed in the meeting before,” said Gaetz.
The extension would make it more difficult for former elected officials to maintain their connections and influence over the body in which they served.
“By the time six years is over a lot of the people who you presided over when you were House Speaker or Senate President have moved on,” said Wilcox.
Some commissioners worry elected officials could sidestep the lobbying ban, by having their law-partners lobby on their behalf.
The amendment was temporarily postponed, while commissioners consider whether the ban should extend to law-partners of former officials. Commissioner Gaetz says it could be a step too far.
“It could bar people from legitimately conducting their business as attorneys or paid advocates,” said Gaetz.
Commissioners plan to take up the amendment again when they meet in January.
A similar proposal was also temporarily postponed, Wednesday. It would also ban Legislator from becoming lobbyists for six years, but wouldn’t apply to other elected officials.

Posted in State News | No Comments »

Comments are closed.

copyright © 2016 by Capitol News Service | Powered by Wordpress | Hosted by LyonsHost.com