North Carolina lawmakers don't seem to be happy about a memo released in February discussing sexual relations between lobbyists and government officials that received significant media attention.
A month after the N.C. Ethics Committee ruled that sex between a lobbyist and an official is not considered a gift and doesn’t have to be disclosed, members of the N.C. House of Representatives have filed an opposing bill — clarifying that such relationships would indeed be a conflict of interest.
The hope of the new bill is to curb the corruption that could stem from a sexual relationship between a lobbyist and government official. The bill would require government officials to recuse themselves from any government action if they are in a “current dating relationship or current sexual relationship” with a lobbyist who would benefit from the decision.
The new bill doesn’t define a “sexual relationship”, but defines a “current dating relationship” as a relationship in which the two people are romantically involved on a continuous basis over the course of the relationship, which includes married couples.
Not only is this bill working to end corruption, but it is also bringing about a political phenomenon not often seen in the state's GOP-controlled legislature — bipartisanship.
Two Democrats, Rep. Grier Martin of Raleigh and Rep. Rick Glazier of Fayetteville, and two Republicans, Rep. Leo Daughtry of Smithfield and Rep. John Faircloth of High Point are sponsoring the bill, and it has widespread support from both sides of the aisle.
Even if the bill is signed into law, it won’t become effective until July 1 — so lobbyists still have time to push their agendas in risqué ways.
state@dailytarheel.com
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