merely trying to cast sunlight onto

whether some state lawmakers use their public office for

private gain,"

Eisner said. Stronger disclosure laws keep politicians honest and help

rebuild

public trust in government, he said.

"What's the danger in people having all the information they can about

their public officials?"

he said. "There's no question that the lack of

good disclosure handicaps our ability to analyze

what legislators are

up to. We're only scratching the surface."

For a prominent businessman in a small state, avoiding conflicts

of interest can be like

negotiating a minefield. Sen. Brooks McCabe,

D-Kanawha, has to be particularly cautious. He

gets income from five

businesses and trusts, and does business with seven government agencies

-

one of the highest number of financial interests in the state Senate,

according to disclosure

records.

As a new senator, McCabe has relied on the state Ethics Commission to

guide him through that

minefield.

"They will walk you through the gray areas," said McCabe. "And there

are a lot of gray areas."

For example, McCabe turned to the Ethics Commission when his banker

offered him and his wife

free tickets to a West Virginia University

football game. The banker had invited them to sit in

his stadium skybox

before, but McCabe wondered if in his new position as state senator,

he

should accept the invitation.

"The guy and I never even talk about politics," McCabe said. "Given

that history, the Ethics

Commission said it was OK." McCabe ended up

More recently, McCabe has been criticized for his support of a new

grocery store on the East

End. Critics say if the store locates at a

Washington Street site, a nearby housing project

being built by McCabe

will benefit.

The project was planned long before the proposed grocery store, McCabe

location of the grocery store are unfair.

"Where I get frustrated is when people imply we do things on purpose

for our own benefit," said

McCabe. In the heat of battle, opponents can

use allegations of conflict of interest to further

their own arguments,

he said.

Still, McCabe has learned a lesson from the store debate.

"The mere raising of the conflict-of-interest issue is a red flag

telling us to look at the

issue carefully," he said. "We need to be

To contact staff writer Scott Finn, use e-mail or call 357-4323.

Doing the right thing - or more importantly, appearing to do the right

thing - can be tough for
a state legislator.

Ask Sen. Martha Yeager Walker, D-Kanawha. When she became a candidate

for state senator in
1992, she quit her job at her husband's company,

Jarrett Printing, to avoid the appearance of
any conflict of interest.

Jarrett Printing had published materials for the Legislature for

more
than 50 years.

But when the West Virginia Supreme Court said quitting wasn't enough,

lucrative contract with the state, or withdraw from the
election.

Walker came close to giving up her dream of becoming a state senator.

"We decided to give up the printing job," said Walker. "One of us had

to make a sacrifice."

Last week, the Center for Public Integrity released a study of all 50

among lawmakers. West Virginia ranked 43rd in
disclosure laws for state

legislators - laws that require lawmakers to tell the public

about
their employment income and financial assets.

The CPI study flunked West Virginia's disclosure laws for not asking

for information commonly
required by other states, such as real estate

holdings, positions on corporate boards and
spouse's income. Also, many

disclosure forms is accurate or complete.

Despite these loopholes in disclosure laws, CPI was able to determine

that a high percentage of
West Virginia legislators are in a position

to benefit financially from their office.

The CPI study has been criticized as an attack on the part-time

legislature. "The center's
assumption on conflict of interest is

oversimplified and exaggerated," said William Pound,
director of the

National Conference of State Legislatures, a nonprofit,

Far from being a liability, a legislator's experience in an industry or

profession makes for
better laws, said Pound. "Who better than a farmer

to work on agricultural legislation or a
doctor to assist in the

development of state medical policy?" he said.

Of West Virginia's 34 senators, six reported financial interests in

real estate. Five are
lawyers and five are retired. Four senators have

interests in oil, gas and timber concerns. The
remaining financial

interest categories are: restaurant, financial consultant, education,

3;
health business, contractor/engineer, 2; farmer, water company

employee, small business owner,
insurance agent, chemical employee, 1.

Peter Eisner, CPI director, said the study is not an attack on a

part-time legislature. "CPI is
merely trying to cast sunlight onto

whether some state lawmakers use their public office for
private gain,"

Eisner said. Stronger disclosure laws keep politicians honest and help

rebuild
public trust in government, he said.

"What's the danger in people having all the information they can about

their public officials?"
he said. "There's no question that the lack of

good disclosure handicaps our ability to analyze
what legislators are

up to. We're only scratching the surface."

For a prominent businessman in a small state, avoiding conflicts

of interest can be like
negotiating a minefield. Sen. Brooks McCabe,

D-Kanawha, has to be particularly cautious. He
gets income from five

businesses and trusts, and does business with seven government agencies

-
one of the highest number of financial interests in the state Senate,

according to disclosure
records.

As a new senator, McCabe has relied on the state Ethics Commission to

guide him through that
minefield.

"They will walk you through the gray areas," said McCabe. "And there

are a lot of gray areas."

For example, McCabe turned to the Ethics Commission when his banker

offered him and his wife
free tickets to a West Virginia University

football game. The banker had invited them to sit in
his stadium skybox

before, but McCabe wondered if in his new position as state senator,

he
should accept the invitation.

"The guy and I never even talk about politics," McCabe said. "Given

that history, the Ethics
Commission said it was OK." McCabe ended up

More recently, McCabe has been criticized for his support of a new

grocery store on the East
End. Critics say if the store locates at a

Washington Street site, a nearby housing project
being built by McCabe

will benefit.

The project was planned long before the proposed grocery store, McCabe

location of the grocery store are unfair.

"Where I get frustrated is when people imply we do things on purpose

for our own benefit," said
McCabe. In the heat of battle, opponents can

use allegations of conflict of interest to further
their own arguments,

he said.

Still, McCabe has learned a lesson from the store debate.

"The mere raising of the conflict-of-interest issue is a red flag

telling us to look at the
issue carefully," he said. "We need to be

To contact staff writer Scott Finn, use e-mail or call 357-4323.