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Capitol View®
Catharine Richert

Senate panel approves new financial reporting rules for legislators

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A bill that would require lawmakers to provide more details about their household income and who they work for has cleared its first hurdle in the Minnesota Senate.

Currently, lawmakers have to disclose information about their financial interests.

But the bill would require spouses to do the same. It would also require legislators who serve as consultants or contractors to describe the type of consulting work they do, though it would not require them to name clients.

Last year, MPR News found that the disclosure forms filed by elected officials provided little if any meaningful information about the sources of their outside income.

Bill sponsor Sen. Kent Eken, DFL-Twin Valley, said that requiring spouses to disclose their financial interests is something the state should have done long ago.

"A spouses financial interests do have an impact on the thinking of public officials, and what positions they may take, and the public has a right to know what influences there may be on their decision making process," Eken said.

Sen. Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, said that spouses aren't subject to Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board rules because they aren't elected officials. The board collects and oversees financial interest information from lawmakers.

"I think your wife and mine could quite correctly tell the board to 'take a hike, we're not going to submit any of the financial interest information that's being sought,'" Newman said.

The bill heads next to the full Rules and Administration Committee. A similar House bill has already had a hearing.