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GOP to publicly vet state officer hopefuls Selection process to begin today By Theo Emery • THE TENNESSEAN The selection of state constitutional officers — treasurer, comptroller and secretary of state — has been a closed-door affair throughout Tennessee history, which became public only when lawmakers reconvened to vote for their chosen candidates. Now, in a first for the state, that process will be turned on its head today, when House and Senate Republicans convene to publicly vet candidates for the three offices whose collective duties in some way affect nearly every Tennessee resident. Fifteen applicants for the positions — eight for secretary of state, one for comptroller and six for treasurer — will appear at a public hearing to answer questions about their credentials and their backgrounds. The proceedings will be streamed live on the Internet. "It is a good opportunity for a departure (from the past), and in so doing shine a brighter light on the fact that these offices exist, what they do, and the people who aspire to fill them. In a word: 'transparency,' " said Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris, the architect of the vetting process. Dick Williams, chairman of the Tennessee chapter of the watchdog group Common Cause, said the departure from past practices is a significant improvement, giving new openness to something long cloaked in secrecy. "The process that they're putting forward now is clearly more open to the public," he said. "As long as it really works the way it's stated to work, then that is a significant step forward in opening up and making the process more transparent." The state's constitutional officers carry out a dizzying array of duties. The secretary of state has oversight over elections and businesses in the state. The comptroller audits state agencies and county governments to ensure they're run well. The treasurer keeps track of the state's coffers, its investments and its pension funds. The three officers also serve on several key boards together, such as the State Building Commission, which maintains all state-owned public buildings; the Funding Board, which helps guide budgeting; and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, which builds affordable housing. Democrats not involved The current officeholders — Comptroller John Morgan, Secretary of State Riley Darnell and Treasurer Dale Simms — are the Democratic nominees, but because the Republicans hold a combined 69-63 majority in the legislature, the GOP's nominees are expected to win. The new process is not meant to remove politics completely — by definition, the appointments are political, with the party holding the upper hand entitled to fill the positions as it chooses. But state GOP lawmakers said they opened the process to ensure that candidates are qualified, untainted and capable of carrying out their duties. During the hearing, the applicants will be questioned about things like past bankruptcies, bank liens, ethics citations and court convictions. They've been required to describe business dealings, potential conflicts of interest, and organizations they belong to. Any presentations to groups must be listed, along with professional associations. Williams said it's vital for the public to have confidence in the state's constitutional officers, and pulling back the curtain on the appointment process will help. "I think the process has resulted in the past with good, qualified people, but the process could have been abused by appointing a political hack, for lack of a better term, who did not have the qualifications," he said. |
