TNDP.org: Lt. Gov. Ramsey Wants Repeal of Ethics "Shakedown" Legislation He Once Sponsored

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TN Democratic Party News
Lt. Gov. Ramsey Wants Repeal of Ethics Legislation He Once Sponsored
http://tndp.org/blog/2009/04/03/lt-gov-ramsey-wants-repeal-of-ethics-legislation-he-once-sponsored/
April 3rd, 2009 by TNDP



NASHVILLE, TN - Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester called on Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville) to back down from his recent suggestion that legislation that bans lawmakers from raising money during the legislative session should be repealed. Ramsey was a sponsor of the legislation that created the ban.

The law, Tennessee Code § 2-10-310, was created in 1995. At that point, Ramsey was a member of the state House of Representatives. He sponsored the legislation (99th General Assembly, HB0089), which passed overwhelmingly.

“Lt. Gov. Ramsey helped end what was known as the ‘legislative session shakedown’ in 1995. Now that he’s running for governor, the ethics law that he sponsored has become inconvenient. We can’t go backwards on ethics reform. In the name of good government, Lt. Gov. Ramsey should immediately retract his comments,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Chip Forrester said.



Ron Ramsey is the state senator from the 2nd District, representing Sullivan and Johnson counties. As the Speaker, he appoints the members of every committee and serves as an ex-officio member of those committees, casting a vote in the event of a tie. By law, the Speaker of the Senate also serves as the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee.

As Forrester explained, “His influence is wide and far-reaching. His desire to collect campaign contributions as legislation reaches these committees raises serious questions about the Lt. Governor’s belief in good government policies. His position is nothing but a self-interested ploy that harms the progress we have made in Tennessee.”

Lt. Gov. Ramsey floated the idea of repeal earlier this week. “Why shouldn’t someone in the legislature, if they’re running for an office, also be able to raise money?” he asked, in an interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, published Thursday, April 2, 2009.

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