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Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: March 9, 2010
Sen. Debbe Leftwich
Senator Leftwich Wins Bipartisan Support for Ethics Reform
Bill
The full Senate has given
approval to legislation mandating a two year cooling off period
before a former lawmaker could become a lobbyist. State Sen. Debbe
Leftwich is the author of Senate Bill 847, which was approved
with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, passing on a
vote of 40 to 5 on Tuesday.
“In my first term six years ago, there were only a handful
of former legislators lobbying, but three of them were former House
Speakers, and you know they had a huge advantage when it came to
getting their bills heard and passed,” said Leftwich, D-Oklahoma
City. “Today, we have almost 40 former members who are lobbyists.
For most private citizens, this just doesn’t seem right. We
need this legislation to restore public confidence in state government.”
Under SB 847, former lawmakers or other elected officials would
have to wait two years before they could return to the State Capitol
as lobbyists.
“I’ve run this bill three times over the past six years,
so I am very grateful to have been given the chance to debate this
measure and secure passage in the Senate,” Leftwich said.
“I’ve always said perception is everything. If we truly
care about how this looks to the public, and want to work to regain
their trust, this can help us do that. I hope the House will move
quickly to pass this bill and send it to Governor Henry for his
signature.”
For more information contact:
Sen. Leftwich: 405-521-5557
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