Image Credit: TN Dept of Education & TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
A bipartisan piece of legislation intended to strengthen the state’s ethics laws failed in the House Public Service Subcommittee on Wednesday by a 2-3 vote.
Republican Representatives Jeff Burkhart, Rick Eldridge, and Iris Rudder voted against the legislation.
Republican Representative Todd Warner and Democrat Representative Gabby Salinas voted in favor of it.
House Bill 564 (HB0564), sponsored by Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-Nashville-District 59), would have amended Tennessee’s existing Ethics Act to specify that an “impermissible indirect gift” given to candidates for public office and also certain officials and their family members includes those provided by “an entity that is related to, and its business or political activities are intertwined with, an employer of a lobbyist.”
The corresponding Senate Bill 548 (SB0548) was filed by Sen. Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville-District 7).
This legislation also sought to require both the governor and officers of the governor’s cabinet to disclose certain expenses related to travel.
Rep. Hemmer brought this legislation after the Tennessee Board of Ethics and Campaign Finance found both state Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds and Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) to be in violation of the law in 2024.
Hemmer said in December of last year that he was going to look for ways to “strengthen our ethics laws in the next legislative session.”
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. Adelia is The Tennessee Conservative’s on-site reporter for the Tennessee General Assembly. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Give Jeff Burkhart, Rick Eldridge, and Iris Rudder more points on their trash scores.