3/9/2006
New Legislation Seeks to Improve Public Access to Disclosure Information

For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 9, 2006
For More Information, Contact: Joe Fulgham (302) 744-4184

Legislation to be introduced later this month in the State House of Representatives seeks to improve public access to financial disclosure statements filed by hundreds of public officials and lobbyists.

Under current law, 317 public officers must file annual reports disclosing information about their personal assets, debts, income, capital gains, reimbursements, honoraria and gifts.Covering all three branches of government, the law mandates that all state judges, every member of the General Assembly, cabinet secretaries and division directors file the information with the Public Integrity Commission. Those running for elected offices covered by the law are also required to file disclosure reports within 14 days of officially becoming candidates.

Another aspect of state law mandates that the state’s 258 registered lobbyists file quarterly reports with the commission detailing expenditures for such things as entertainment, food, recreation and gifts given to state employees and legislators.

If you want to examine these documents you have to travel to the Public Integrity Commission’s office in Dover," said State Rep. Greg Lavelle (R-Sharpley). These records are intended for public disclosure and are meant to instill a sense of confidence in our state officials, but that can't be accomplished if the information is not easily accessible.

Rep. Lavelle noted that campaign finance reports are already available via the Internet on the State Commissioner of Elections’ web site. If we’re doing this for campaign finance reports, can anyone make a case against doing the same for disclosure reports? I don’t think so.

After the General Assembly resumes work next week, Rep. Lavelle said he intends to introduce legislation that would allow both the lobbyists’ and state officials’ disclosure statements to be viewed on-line. There is no technical reason why this cannot be done and there is no logical reason why it should not be done.

Public Integrity Commission Attorney Janet Wright said about half of the reports filed with the commission are done electronically. The commission scans the remaining reports and saves them as pdf files as part of their normal document management procedures.

My understanding is that the commission has already taken steps that would help facilitate on-line access to the disclosure statements, Rep. Lavelle said. The commission only has a two-member staff, so I’m anticipating that this measure may require a modest appropriation to outsource the linking of these documents to the agency’s site. I think it’ll be an investment worth making.

Rep. Lavelle said he also wants to examine the reporting thresholds for lobbyists, legislators, cabinet secretaries and division directors. Right now, lobbyists must report any daily expenditure of more than $50 they spend on a state employee or official. But state legislators, judges and high-ranking members of the governor’s administration need only report gifts of more than $250. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I think we should consider making these thresholds the same.

Back to the News Summary

Have news? Please contact me!