Half of states flunk

Kind of a shame to mention this unpleasantness after the recent reassertion of legislative power here in the state but as more tough issues are tackled by the legislature, and with steadily increasing lobbying maybe the time has come .This survey study of financial disclosure doesn’t necessarily reflect on any one persons integrity, it only reflects the fact that the reporting requirements are weak, at the bottom actually, here in Vermont according the Center for Public Integrity. Also note on the executive side that Vermont is one of 4 states as of 2007 that did not require governors to file financial disclosure reports at all. Last election Douglas did and Dubie didn’t release their income tax records and of course Gaye Symington did both .

Twenty of the 50 states “failed” in a survey of financial-disclosure requirements of state legislators, according to rankings released by the Center for Public Integrity .

Since 1999, CPI has from time to time been reporting on state lawmaker-disclosure requirements, and ranking the states based on a 43-question survey that measures public access to information on legislators’ employment, investments, personal finances, property holdings, or other activities outside the legislature.

Tied for the bottom of the ranking, each with a score of zero, were Michigan, Vermont and Idaho, which require no financial disclosure at all of lawmakers.

The complete rankings here ….. http://www.publicintegrity.org…

http://www.editorandpublisher….