Disclosure
The House has passed several ethics bills and others have been introduced. Of course, we still await action by the Senate on a number of these House-passed bills. Many bills that have been introduced are attempting to address ethics, disclosure, transparency or whatever cute title you want to give it. I have often wondered what prevents us from acting on our own, without legislation, from disclosing our economic interests, family relationships, etc on the Internet. The answer, so it seems, is nothing.
I inquired of the clerk’s office and our computer staff the feasibility of having a link on our legislative web site to our ethics forms. Thanks to the Clerk of the House and our outstanding computer staff I have now authorized and they have set up a link to my report that I have on file with the Alabama Ethics Commission.
You may view it here:
http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/representatives/housebios/hd021.html
This is a great precedent to set Rep Hinshaw. I’m looking forward to Mike Hubbard following your lead.
Comment by Anonymous — May 22, 2007 @ 11:13 pm
Thank you for taking the lead on this, Rep. Hinshaw. Alabama needs more transparency in government and records should be easily accessible to all citizens. Is there any potential for all legislators, at least, to agree to do this? As I wrote elsewhere“making disclosure forms available online is a sensible improvement that costs almost nothing.” Why would anyone oppose it?
Comment by mooncat — May 23, 2007 @ 1:13 pm