By Dan Carden, Times of Northwest Indiana
dan.carden@nwi.com
INDIANAPOLIS | A proposal requiring greater disclosure of lobbyist gifts and a one-year ban on state legislators becoming lobbyists won approval Wednesday from an Indiana House committee.
The Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee voted 10-0 to send House Bill 1001 to the full House for consideration in January.
The legislation requires lawmakers to disclose any gift from a lobbyist worth more than $50. The current reporting requirement is $100.
Under the proposal, state lawmakers would also have to wait one year after leaving office before they could become a lobbyist.
Some committee members expressed concern that the measure prohibits lobbyists from representing multiple clients if those clients have a conflict of interest and prohibits anyone with a state contract worth more than $100,000 from making political contributions.
Nevertheless, the committee voted to advance the legislation to the full House so more representatives could weigh in.
House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, has said lobbying reform is one of his top priorities for the legislative session that begins Jan. 5.
He said Wednesday he was pleased the Democratic-controlled House will now be able to act on this measure shortly after convening.
"Above all, I am delighted that House Bill 1001 contains provisions that can help our state avoid the type of 'pay to play' relationships that have caused so much scandal in other states," Bauer said.
Last month, a coalition of Indiana newspapers, including The Times, urged the General Assembly to enact lobbying reform measures.