Maine receives failing grade on legislators disclosure rules

Maine receives failing grade on legislators' disclosure rules
BY SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer Morning Sentinel

AUGUSTA -- Maine was one of 20 states to earn a failing grade on a recent report card that measures financial-disclosure rules for state lawmakers.

The Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan research organization based in Washington, D.C., ranked Maine 41st in the country for its disclosure practices.

Maine earned just 53 points out of 100, good for a grade of "F."

The center looked at whether candidates and legislators have to disclose financial information, job titles, investments, and spousal and dependent financial information.

Maine does require basic financial disclosure, but lost points for not requiring enough information about real-estate holdings and investments by legislators and their spouses.

"I'm sure legislators don't like to make all that public," said Bill Buzenberg, executive director of the center. "With that information, when it's transparent, it does change behavior. It does make a difference."

Buzenberg said the public needs to know the information because it reveals possible conflicts of interest, and that the requirements may weed out candidates who have less than honorable intentions when they run for office.

He praised states such as Louisiana for making progress in what they require legislators to disclose. The center cited Idaho, Michigan and Vermont for their lack of disclosure.

Former Maine Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, sponsored legislation two years ago to try to improve Maine's ranking. And while some changes will become state law in 2010, many of her suggestions were rejected by fellow lawmakers.

She said the resistance came from those who were worried about disclosing what they considered to be personal financial information.

"I think the issue has to be part-time legislators understanding this is common practice," she said. "This is one of the pieces of privacy you give up when you serve as a legislator."

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