67677 TLA 2015-Full-Book Web.Pdf

Proud Supporters of the Tennessee Lobbyists Association Better to remain silent and“ be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. -- Abraham Lincoln “ For more information, visit our website at babc.com No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Contact: Nathan H. Ridley, Esq., 615.252.2382, [email protected], 1600 Division Street | Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37203. Tennessee Lobbyists Association Standards of Conduct Lobbying is an integral part of Tennessee’s and our nation’s democratic process. It is a constitutionally guaranteed right under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution providing for “the right of citizens to petition the government for redress of their grievances.” Government officials are continuously making public policy decisions that affect the vital interests of individuals, corporations, labor organizations, religious groups, charitable institutions and other entities. Public officials need to receive factual information from affected interests and to know such parties’ views in order to make informed policy judgments. In exercising their rights to try to influence public policy, interests often choose to employ professional representatives to monitor developments and advocate their positions, or to use lobbyists through their membership in trade associations and other membership organizations. In Tennessee, hundreds of men and women now are professional lobbyists and represent virtually every type of interest. To help preserve and advance public trust and confidence in our democratic institutions and the public policy advocacy process, professional lobbyists have a strong obligation to act always in the highest ethical and moral manner in their dealings with all parties. Lobbyists also have a duty to advance public understanding of the lobbying profession. The Tennessee Lobbyists Association, accordingly, has adopted the following “Standards of Conduct” to provide basic guidelines and standards for lobbyists’ conduct. In general, these Standards are intended to apply to independent lobbyists who are retained to represent third party clients’ interests and to lobbyists employed on the staff of corporations, labor organizations, associations and other entities where their employer is in effect their “client.” Lobbyists are strongly urged to comply with these Standards and to seek always to practice the highest ethical conduct in their lobbying endeavors. Individual members of the Tennessee Lobbyists Association (TLA) affirm their commitment to abide by these standards. • The professional lobbyist will always deal in accurate, current and factual information, whether it is being reported to the employer or client, government officials or professional colleagues, and will not engage in misrepresentation of any nature. The lobbyist has a responsibility to inform any public official of material changes in information they provide, should such changes make previously provided information inaccurate. • The professional lobbyist should comply with the laws governing lobbying and should respect the standards of conduct applying to officials and staff of the General Assembly and the Executive Branch. The professional lobbyist should not knowingly participate in any activity that could place a public official in violation of any law or policy governing their conduct. • The lobbyist should conduct lobbying activities in a fair and professional manner, treating others, both allies and adversaries, with respect and civility. • The professional lobbyist should seek to avoid conflicts of interest and should not continue or undertake representations that may create conflicts of interest without the informed consent of the client or potential client involved. • The lobbyist should vigorously and diligently advance and advocate the client’s or employer’s interests. The lobbyist should exercise loyalty to the client’s or employer’s interests through due diligence and best efforts towards their goals. • The professional lobbyist should respect the confidential communications of the employer or client. • The professional lobbyist should exhibit proper respect for the government institutions before which the lobbyist appears. • The lobbyist should attempt to ensure better understanding and appreciation of the right of citizens to petition their government and for the redress of their grievances. 1 In Memory of Harlan Mathews 1927-2014 Harlan Mathews was born in Sumiton, Walker County, Alabama. He attended Alabama public schools and graduated from Jacksonville State College in Jacksonville, Alabama in 1949. He received his graduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 1950. He then went on to study law at the Nashville School of Law, graduating in 1962. Mr. Mathews served in the State of Tennessee in the following positions: Planning Staff of Tennessee Governor Gordon Browning 1950-1954 Budget Staff of Governor Frank Clement 1954- 1961 Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration 1961-1971 Legislative Assistant to state Comptroller William Snodgrass 1973-1974 Tennessee State Treasurer 1974-1987 Selected Accomplishments during of service as State Treasurer Establishment of Unclaimed Property Program Establishment of the Deferred Compensation of 401k and 457 Programs Implementation of CRIS and TRAC’s Systems Formation of Actuarially - Based TCRS Funding Expansion of Treasury Information Systems Creation of Chairs of Excellence Program Deputy to Governor Ned McWherter and Secretary of the State Cabinet 1987-1993 United States Senator 1993-1994 Not a candidate for election to the unexpired portion of the term, he resumed the practice of law in Nashville, Tennessee following his term as a United States Senator. Statement from current Tennessee State Treasurer David Lillard, Jr: I am very saddened to learn of the passing of Harlan Mathews. He was a great leader and a wonderful person. He was the father of the modern Tennessee Treasury Department. During his service as state Treasurer, the department established its unclaimed property program, its 401(k) and 457 plans and its chairs of excellence program, to name only a few of his many initiatives. He also managed the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, the retirement program for state workers, teachers and other public employees, in a financially prudent manner which still has a positive impact for retirees and future retirees to this day. Senator Mathews has been a good friend to me personally during my service as Treasurer. His support for the Treasury Department he loved, and its employees, never wavered. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his widow and family. Statement from the Family of Harlan Mathews: Harlan Mathews, an accidental Tennessean born in Sumiton, Alabama, who advised five Tennessee governors and served in the U. S. Senate, died May 9th at the age of 87. Mathews was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died peacefully at Alive Hospice with his wife Pat at his side. 2 Mathews arrived in Nashville in 1949 upon receiving his B.A. degree from Jacksonville State College, which he attended on the G.I. Bill after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, to attend Vanderbilt University. He would subsequently obtain a master’s degree in public administration. Shortly after enrolling at Vanderbilt, Mathews took an entry level job with the State Planning Office, not knowing that serving the people of Tennessee would become his life’s work. In 1950, the 24 year-old Mathews met 30 year-old Frank Clement. Two years later, Mathews was the top assistant to the new Governor, a close friendship that continued until Clement’s death in 1969. In 1961 Mathews was appointed Commissioner of Finance by Governor Buford Ellington. He held the post for 10 years, one of the longest tenures in state history. 1971, Mathews briefly left state government to work in the private sector in Memphis, but returned in 1973 to serve as the legislative assistant to longtime state comptroller William Snodgrass. The Tennessee General Assembly elected Mathews state treasurer in 1974 when his predecessor, Tom Wiseman, opted to run for governor. Mathews remained state treasurer until January 1987 when he resigned to become deputy governor to Ned McWherter. As deputy governor, Mathews was a low key yet forceful advocate of McWherter’s legislative agenda and continued, as he had done as state treasurer and finance and administration commissioner, to protect the state’s sound financial footing. Upon U.S. Senator Al Gore’s election to the vice presidency, McWherter appointed the most dedicated public servant he knew to fill the vacancy. Harlan Mathews was sworn in on Jan. 3, 1993, to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate. Mathews never sought election to political office, preferring to serve the people of this state behind the scenes as a frugal manager and mentor to dozens over the four decades of his public career. Upon leaving the U.S. Senate in December of 1994, Mathews joined the Nashville office of the law firm of Farris, Mathews, Bobango PLC. He remained active in the legislature and politics, serving as an informal advisor and fundraiser for Gov. Phil Bredesen. Throughout Mathews’ career, he never took for granted the people he served and the responsibility he held. He was known as a soft spoken but tough negotiator who made sure state employees were paid good wages, and that the state’s retirement system was sound,

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