Common Cause takes advocacy efforts to Georgia voters

ALBANY — The executive director of Common Cause Georgia says there is an ethics crisis in the state, and he and his organization are taking that message to the people in an effort to bring transparency to the Golden Dome.

William Perry conducted a public hearing at Albany Technical College Wednesday, saying the nonpartisan nonprofit is trying to shed light on an issue that is championed by Democrats, Republicans, tea party members and Independent voters alike.

“It seems that, often, the only ones in the state who don’t agree with our cause is the Legislature itself,” Perry said.

The Common Cause executive director said an independent study conducted three years ago to examine ethics laws in the United States showed that Georgia not only was given an “F” grade, it ranked dead last among the 50 states in the union.

Perry pointed to another study conducted last year by the state Department of Audits and Accounts that found there were funding and staffing inadequacies associated with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (the renamed Ethics Commission) and that there was a need for greater independence on that commission. Currently, three members are appointed by the governor, one by the House and one by the Senate.

“There’s a feeling of the wolf guarding the hen house when the committee is charged with investigating the very people that appointed them,” Perry said.

Common Cause has also helped publicize a number of Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission errors that have led to fines of local politicians for inadequate filing of campaign finances even when some of those fined had records of compliance.

“There’s a little bit of a fix needed there,” Perry said.

Common Cause has seven recommendations its members say would help state officials deal with what the organization is calling an ethics crisis:

— Change the name of the commission back to the Georgia Ethics Commission. “It doesn’t cause as big a stir if an official says he has a ‘Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission complaint’ filed against him as it would if he said he had an ethics complaint,” Perry said.

— Make independent appointments. Perry: “We recommend one appointment by each Georgia Supreme Court justice.”

— Name more commission members. Perry: “There are seven Supreme Court justices; increase the commission size to seven members.”

— Secure independent funding based on a percentage of the budget. Perry: “As much as it pains me to say this, Alabama is a prime example of the right way to do this.”

— More authority. Perry: “Give the committee investigative and subpoena powers.”

— Enact enforcement powers: Perry: “Allow the committee to impose fines and prosecute ethics violators.”

— Time limit on initial complaints. Perry: “Require all complaints to be heard within two years of being reported.”

Perry said Common Cause Georgia was instrumental in pushing the passage of HB 142, which was signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal in 2013. That law caps lobbyist gifts at $75.

“There are so many loopholes written into the bill, most of the legislators can easily get around it,” Perry said. “But we’re finding that there are some who will not accept gifts at all and others who stick to the spirit of the law by holding gifts to the $75 cap. If we get enough doing that, our hope is that we can close the loopholes.

“What we’re trying to do with Common Cause is get the message out that the power lies with the voters of Georgia. Our purpose is to make public officials and public institutions accountable and responsible to our citizens. After all, it’s our money. We’re trying to create a political ‘wave’ that will allow us to implement a true fix.”

To join or obtain more information about Common Cause Georgia, go online to www.CommonCause.org/GA/Join or call (404) 524-4598. Email may be sent to [email protected]. The organization also can be followed on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/CommonCauseGeorgia) or Twitter (@CommonCauseGA).