From the Raleigh News and Observer (12/8/08): In the six years since the Better Government Association first rated states on an "integrity index," North Carolina has added an ethics law for the executive branch and banned lobbyists from offering lawmakers golf trips, Super Bowl tickets and other perks.
But the changes had little effect on North Carolina’s rank. The state dropped a spot from 22nd to 23rd place in the association’s recent report.
The association, a Chicago-based watchdog, rates the states on three core principles — transparency, accountability and limits on campaign contributions, gifts and other perks. States that have strong laws for freedom of information, whistle-blower protection, campaign finance, open meetings and conflict-of-interest disclosures fare best.
North Carolina may have dropped a notch because of a change in the ranking system. In the 2002 index, the association rated states for limits on gifts. This time around, the association dropped that rating, saying loopholes in state laws make it hard to evaluate the limits.
That was an area in which North Carolina made strides after the scandals that put former House Speaker Jim Black in federal prison.
In other areas, the index found that North Carolina ranked 40th in making information public, 19th in whistle-blower protection, 14th in campaign finance accountability, 29th on open meetings and 19th on conflict-of-interest disclosure.
“North Carolina has come a long way, but obviously we still have a lot of work to do,” said Jane Pinsky, director of the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform.