Atlanta Unfiltered

July 20, 2009 --

Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (right) and Rep. Calvin Smyre, House minority caucus chairman, are among 37 Georgia legislators who have failed to file required disclosures of their personal finances this year.

In fact, six lawmakers still haven’t filed disclosures for 2007 that were due more than a year ago. They are Reps. Roger Bruce, Toney Collins, Winfred Dukes, Wayne Howard, David Lucas and Sen. Curt Thompson. (State records show Collins filed a disclosure for 2006, but not 2007, after he qualified last year to run for the House.)

State law requires elected officials to file disclosures once a year to identify business interests, real estate holdings and employment information. The deadline is July 1 each year, but the disclosures may be filed at any time after Jan. 1.

The information is required so citizens can decide whether an official’s public and private interests are in conflict.

For instance, Rep. Clay Cox, CEO of a private probation business, introduced a bill this year that would have regulated businesses such as his. In fact, the bill would have restricted the power of a state agency that had issues with some contracts between Cox’s business and local court systems.

Here are the legislators who still haven’t filed a financial disclosure for 2008, according to the state Ethics Commission’s Web site:

State Senate:

Jeff Chapman (R-Brunswick)
Ralph Hudgens (R-Hull)
Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock)
Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale)
David Shafer (R-Duluth)
Curt Thompson (D-Tucker)
Steve Thompson (D-Marietta)
Dan Weber (R-Dunwoody)

State House of Representatives:

Stephen Allison (R-Blairsville)
Lee Anderson (R-Groveton)
Rick Austin (R-Demorest)
Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta)
Bob Bryant (D-Garden City)
Toney Collins (D-Conyers)
Clay Cox (R-Lilburn)
Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates)
Winfred Dukes (D-Albany)
Hugh Floyd (D-Norcross)
Carol Fullerton (D-Albany)
Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell)
Mark Hamilton (R-Cumming)

Michael Harden (R-Toccoa)
Keith Heard (D-Athens)
Henry “Wayne” Howard (D-Augusta)
Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus)
Sheila Jones (D-Atlanta)
Roger Lane (R-Darien)
David Lucas (D-Macon)
John Meadows (R-Calhoun)
William Quincy Murphy (D-Augusta)
Randy Nix (R-LaGrange)
Jay Shaw (D-Lakeland)
Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus)
Tom Weldon (R-Ringgold)
Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs)
Al Williams (D-Midway)
Mark Williams (R-Jesup)

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