In my travels around Mississippi speaking to various groups, I have seen that the voters are demanding more openness and transparency in government. Groups like the Tea Party movement are calling on elected officials to open up the process to include more public participation. As our Founders clearly stated, and elected officials need to better understand, government closest to the people governs best.
As the former State Auditor, I have always believed that the more transparent a government entity is, the more accountable it is to the taxpayers. In my first week of being sworn in as Lt. Governor, I proposed webcasting the Senate proceedings so taxpayers could see their government in action and hold their elected officials accountable. The Senate unanimously approved this innovative, open-government measure. That same year, I formed the Senate Ethics Committee. Through this committee, one of the most comprehensive ethics reform in nearly twenty-five years passed both chambers. Among many things in the bill, required all elected officials to file their ethics reports online.
Those measures did not pass without a struggle. But it is successes like these that make the fight for more openness worth it.
Now in the legislature, the fight for more openness, more accountability and more transparency continues to rage.
Reformers in the capitol have been pushing legislation aimed at adding more oversight to government agencies that hire outside attorneys. Nicknamed the Sunshine Attorney Act, this legislation basically says that when the anticipated fee for legal services exceeds $500,000, the contract with the private lawyers has to be approved by the Personal Service Contract Review Board. This legislation is not aimed at one person or state agency. Not only does this bill bring sunshine to the process of hiring outside counsel, it’s simply good government. After passing the Senate, SB 3059 unfortunately died in House Committee and never came up for a vote.
Lastly, the Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation making those who violate the open meetings law pay their own fines. Again, I have a simple belief that people blatantly violating the open meetings law should be personally responsible for their violations. As it stands now, because of a procedural move in the House of Representatives the taxpayer will continue to pay the bills for officials who disobey our current Open Meetings Law.
The Mississippi legislature should be making Mississippi one of the most open and accountable states in the nation. People throughout Mississippi have been calling for a more open government, and it’s time members of the legislature hear their call.
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