The State of New Hampshire just changed their ethics filing requirements from monthly to quarterly. I would suggest that Connecticut follow it’s excellent example. I know that in the broad range of issues facing the state, this may seem like small potatoes but maybe that’s why it should be a no-brainer. Clearly we’ve got bigger problems when it comes to ethics - like reworking the definition of lobbying in the wake of the Bridgeport Diocese case. Constitutional questions like freedom of speech and transparency are weighty stuff. So requiring registered lobbyists to report their expenditures quarterly as opposed to monthly should not be a huge shift.
Lobbyists already must disclose what they will be paid on their registration forms. Client lobbyists must disclose what they will be paying outside lobbyists as well as the terms of any contract for media, polling, grassroots services and the like. Requiring that lobbyists file reports monthly while the legislature is in regular session, not special session (or when the moon is in the second house) seems like overkill. Administrative lobbying must be reported quarterly so why not legislative lobbying too? This small simplification would bring us in line with other states and would not remove any transparency from the public eye. Perhaps the Granite State has got something wise to teach us.
