Ohio Governor Outlines Proposals on Contracting and Lobbying Reforms

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft proposed reforms this week with the goal of ensuring greater transparency and fairness in state contracting and executive branch lobbying. Taft described the specifics of his proposal in a memo to legislative leaders.

“It’s high time we revisit and reform our lobbying and contracting laws to ensure fairness and to assure full accountability to the public,” said Taft. “I’m encouraged by ongoing conversations with Senate President Bill Harris and Speaker Jon Husted, and I urge the legislature to pass a bill before they recess for the summer.”

Taft also asked the legislature to establish a routine review of ethics laws to ensure they stay current and effective.

“While we have well-intentioned laws in place to keep politics out of state contracting, it has been more than a decade since many of those laws have been updated,” said Taft. “We must review these laws on a regular basis to stay a step ahead of those that may be looking for loopholes and ways to abuse the process.”

Gov. Taft outlined reforms that will strengthen laws governing campaign contributions from individuals and businesses seeking unbid contracts to the candidates or public officials who award the contracts. The plan will also extend those laws to the lobbyists who represent individuals and businesses seeking such contracts, and will limit the aggregate amount that organizations seeking contracts can contribute to a candidate or public official who awards contracts.

The new law would also forbid procurement lobbyists and consultants who represent those seeking to do business with the state from giving any gifts, including food or beverages, to executive branch officials or employees. Officials and employees would be prohibited from receiving such gifts. The reform would also limit the ability to influence the evaluation of a bid or proposal by prohibiting direct contact with the evaluator of the bid or proposal, and prohibiting contacting any public official in an effort to influence the bidding process.

Finally, the reform package would provide much-needed transparency in the state contracting process by requiring lobbyists and consultants to disclose their fees. The law would require any executive agency employee who evaluates a bid or proposal to file an annual financial disclosure statement with the Ohio Ethics Commission. Additionally, Taft has asked that the legislature require the state to create and maintain a website that posts all contracts awarded by state agencies, boards or commissions.

“I look forward to working with legislative leaders to reform Ohio ethics laws to ensure fairness and accountability in the way the state does business,” said Taft.

Source: Ohio Office of the Governor news release

Topics Legislation Ohio