Private Interests Not Far from the Minds of State Legislators, Center Suggests

New data released by the Center for Public Integrity affirm the notion state representatives are often uniquely positioned to influence their personal financial fortunes or those of their employers while in office.

Our Private Legislatures, a study aimed at providing the public with detailed information on the private financial interests of more than 7,400 lawmakers, finds more than 28 percent of reporting state legislators sat on a committee with authority over at least one of their personal interests in 2001. Another 18 percent disclosed ties to organizations registered to lobby state government, and 10 percent were employed by other government agencies, including public schools and universities.

Although state legislators frequently have jurisdiction over areas in which they hold personal interests, many states have weak mechanisms for disclosing those ties, a companion Center report notes. In fact, 24 states received failing scores on making basic information about the outside interests of their legislators available to the public.

The two analyses update previous reports by the Center on outside influences that can affect the crucial policy decisions state legislators make.

The Center has been studying the financial disclosure statements filed by 6,516 legislators during 2002, which covered legislators' financial interests in 2001, in the 47 states that require disclosure. Lawmakers in Idaho, Michigan and Vermont do not file such reports. The study considers four categories of personal interests: employers, business interests, stock holdings and directorships.

The 5.4 percent of legislators in the 47 states with mandatory financial disclosure who did not file statements were excluded when the Center calculated percentages of legislators with each type of connection.

Not surprisingly, reports the Center, the most commonly listed occupations were law, education and retirement. More than 12 percent of legislators said they were employed by a law firm, and an overlapping group of 9.6 percent had a business interest in one. More than 10 percent of legislators said they were retired and 7.5 percent reported employment in the education field, including public schools.

Our Private Legislatures, funded by the Joyce Foundation and the Ford Foundation, is searchable by name, zip code, outside tie or industry to determine what interests lawmakers hold and the potential conflicts those special interests present. The study also ranks states using a survey based on filing requirements, content, access and enforcement and is available at http://www.publici.org/oi/default.aspx.