WASHINGTON - Missouri State Treasurer Bob Holden has been named chairman of a new 16-member task force set up by the National Association of State Treasurers to develop a code of ethics for treasurers and other participants in the municipal market.
The first meeting of the task force will be held in conjunction with the association's southern region meeting in Oklahoma City from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, officials said. The task force was created during the treasurers' annual meeting in early August amid increasing publicity over political influence peddling and disclosure problems in the municipal market. The other 15 state treasurers named to the task force are: Ed Alter, Utah; Larrie Bailey, West Virginia; Marshall Bennett, Mississippi: Kathleen Brown, California; Jimmie Lou Fisher, Arkansas; Homes Harding, South Dakota; Claudette Henry, Oklahoma; Jim Hill, Oregon; David King, New Mexico; Mary Landrieu, Louisiana; Joe Malone, Massachusetts; Nancy Mayer, Rhode Island; Mike McGrath, Minnesota; Dawn Rockey, Nebraska; and Sam Shapiro, Maine.
Holden, a former member of the Missouri House who was sworn in as state treasurer in January, said the task force hopes to set standards governing political contributions, primary and secondary market disclosure, pricing information, and other issues facing the market.
"I hope the treasurers can craft solutions for some of these problems and then use our good offices to work with everyone from local elected officials to other participants in the market," such as bond counsel and underwriters, he said.
"If we don't, the federal government surely will take action," Holden said.
