May 23, 2005

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is hoping the controversy about a $14 million fee payable to a private crony of state AG Jim Hood following the negotiated settlement of a tax claim against MCI (see May 13) will spur legislative reform to keep the same sort of thing from happening over and over again. Specifically, Barbour "is asking lawmakers to pass a bill that would require legislative review, and public disclosure, before private lawyers make big bucks on state cases." Virginia, Texas and Colorado are among the states that already have enacted such protections.