Ever wonder how much employers pay their lobbyists? Well, now you can (assuming you live in Tennessee). Under a new state ethics law, employers must disclose how much they pay lobbyists, which includes direct payments as well as PR and advertising. Over a six-month period, employers in the state of all sizes and shapes spent somewhere in between $11.4 million and $18.7 million.

This is certainly good news that this information is being disclosed to the public. However, it would be nice if the number was a little more accurate. There is a big difference between $11.4 million and $18.7 million, which is like the difference between a middle-of-the-rotation starter and a Cy Young candidate. In addition, the chairman of the Tennessee Lobbyist Association told lobbyists to "over-report" payments and told the paper "Does it give an indication? Yes. Does it give an accurate indication? No." Is this opinion on the number's accuracy correct? Yes. Should he continue to use this question-and-answer technique? Probably not.

This is definitely a step in the right direction, especially considering 2005's Tennessee Waltz scandal, in which seven state lawmakers were arrested for bribery. Still, the ethics commission still has a lot of work to do. Now if Tennessee's notorious football player Pacman Jones would disclose all his "payments," the state would be in great shape.