House shoots down reform of 'legalized bribery' system for Mississippi Politicians
Geoff Pender, The Clarion-Ledger 6:41 p.m. CDT April 19, 2016
Jackson, MS
Mississippi politicians, as long as they avoid the tax man, can continue spending campaign money in ways that would land them in jail in most other states after the House killed a reform measure on a voice vote.
The voice vote Tuesday ensures constituents can't tell how their representatives voted on the first serious effort at campaign-finance and politician ethics reform in decades. The vote effectively killed the measure, although it technically could be revived as the legislative session enters its final days.
House Speaker Philip Gunn, who himself spends thousands of campaign dollars a year without itemization and has loaned himself money from his campaign, had questioned the need for reform. He ruled Tuesday that the "Nos" were loudest on the voice vote and a roll call was not required. Thirteen members could have stood and demanded a roll vote. But only a couple did. Some who were standing even sat down to ensure roll wasn't taken on the bill.
The mild reforms would have restricted politicians using campaign money for some personal expenses, such as buying cars and clothes, and required more reporting to the public how they spend it. Mississippi's lack of campaign finance and ethic laws and nonexistent enforcement has been described as "legalized bribery" and "a recipe for ethical disaster" by politicians and experts.
Rep. Jeff Smith, who spends campaign money on payments to banks, auto repairs and a golf club in Columbus, offered the motion to recommit the House-Senate compromise bill on reform, effectively killing it as lawmakers prepare to end their 2016 session this week. Smith said the Legislature should be in charge of policing its own campaign finances, and he had concerns over what would happen if he or others did something against the proposed law.
"We're going to do something wrong," Smith said. "We're from Mississippi."
The Clarion-Ledger has run an ongoing series, "Public Office/Private Gain." It has shown how many Mississippi politicians have taken advantage of lax campaign finance laws and reporting regulations and nonexistent enforcement to line their own pockets and to spend money from special interests and lobbyists in ways most states and the federal government prohibit.
The state Senate had passed stricter campaign finance reforms this session — with the support of Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves — that mirrored federal regulations for Congress and laws of other states. The House had previously stripped reforms passed by the Senate and voted to instead create a committee to study the issue and report back to the Legislature next year. Senate Election Chairwoman Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, and other negotiators had worked to restore campaign finance reform and bring it to a vote.
Mississippi lawmakers spend campaign donations on dry cleaning, clothes, groceries, trips to Alaska, California, Colorado and Florida and on children's parties, taxes, car insurance, apartments and payments to their own companies.
Mississippi politicians have few rules on campaign donations and reporting and, for all practical purposes, no rules on spending. What rules exist are not enforced. Many lawmakers, by using money from lobbyists and special interests donating to their campaigns to cover their expenses, appear to have found a way to pocket money taxpayers pay them for the same expenses or augment their lifestyle while in Jackson.
For many politicians, particularly lawmakers, the practice has appeared to become a lobbyist-funded second income.
On Tuesday, House members from both sides of the aisle questioned what the measure would do to their campaign kitties.
"I have grave concerns," said Rep. John Moore, R-Brandon. "I feel like I'm going to have a gun to the back of my head. How much of this is driven by articles in the local paper?"
Several lawmakers, including Reps. John Hines, D-Greenville, and Omeria Scott, D-Laurel, questioned whether the new law would prevent them from helping pay for constituents' funerals or giving campaign money to churches. They were told it would not prohibit such spending.
Several lawmakers, including Rep. Mark Baker, R-Brandon, questioned the measure saying a violation of campaign finance laws would be a misdemeanor and subject to a $1,000 fine. Baker indicated House negotiators had caved to the Senate too much in negotiations on a final bill.
House Elections Chairman Bill Denny, R-Jackson, urged the House to pass the measure. He said the reforms are needed, but that he and other negotiators had worked to make sure they wouldn't be too restrictive. He said they were not as tough as many other states' regulations.
"We made this as liberal as we possibly can," Denny said. "Looking at other states, I'm dancing in the streets on this."
Rep. Hank Zuber III, R-Ocean Springs, who has pushed for campaign finance reform, said he was "extremely disappointed" at the bill being snuffed without a real vote. He said he doesn't believe many of his colleagues "understand and appreciate the public's position on this issue."
"I don't think there's enough appreciation for the public's belief that politicians and the campaign process and institutions have been usurped by special interests because of the influence of money," Zuber said.
The lengthy bill also included an overhaul and cleanup of election and voting laws being pushed by Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, including a crackdown on PACs running anonymous ads and failing to report their creation and finances.
Lawmakers had previously killed a measure Hosemann pushed for early voting up to 21 days before an election. Another measure he pushed to allow online voter registration was watered down to allow those already registered to vote to shift their registration online when they move.
Contact Geoff Pender at (601) 961-7266 or gpender@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @GeoffPender on Twitter.