. . . But state Senator Ed Tarver is seeking to change that.
Among the pre-filed bills for the 2009 legislative session is a measure by Augusta Democrat Ed Tarver to criminalize making false statements to a legislative committee or sub-committee. Currently, there is no penalty for lying to a legislative committee.
In today's Athens Banner-Herald, the paper's editorial board argues in favor of Tarver's bill writing that truth-telling should apply not only to persons testifying before a legislative panel but also to lawmakers as well.
If Tarver and other like-minded legislators want to establish legal sanctions against people who make false statements in front of legislative committees - a worthy goal, to be sure - they ought also to be willing to subject themselves to that same standard. [Source: Athens Banner-Herald, "Truth-telling bill should apply to lawmakers", December 1, 2008]
State Sen. Ed Tarver's "Truth In Testimony Act" was introduced during the 2008 legislative session where it languished in the Senate Rules Committee.
01 December 2008
It's Legal to Lie in the State Legislature. . .
by
Andre Walker