What Oklahoma Can Learn from Louisiana's Transparency Push

A political-operative friend of mine who has worked in several different states tells me that of all the states in the nation that are not named Louisiana, our own Sooner State is the most corrupt. Sadly, recent headlines haven't done much to prove my friend wrong.

Well, don't look now, but it's a new day in Louisiana. The state's energetic new governor, Bobby Jindal, is providing plenty of good examples for Oklahoma policymakers to emulate. Naturally I admire the governor for pushing through school choice, but consider also what he's done in the area of transparency.

Newt Gingrich writes today ("Bobby Jindal, America's Most Transformational Governor") that "in the first special session back in March, Governor Jindal began his reform agenda where it had to begin: fixing the culture of corruption and cronyism that has long dominated Louisiana politics and damaged Louisiana's economy.

"The ethics reforms won by Governor Jindal catapulted Louisiana from a state with one of the lowest rankings to among the states with the highest ethics standards. Thanks to Bobby Jindal, today Louisiana ranks as the number one state in financial disclosure requirements of its elected officials. And this new transparency and accountability in government is having real-world results.

"New financial disclosure requirements for public officials that went into effect last week have prompted mass resignations from state boards and commissions. Said one Louisiana voter: 'I don't know about anyone else, but I'm kinda liking the fact that this is resulting in 'out with the old and in with the new.'"