Rep. Phillip Johnson, R-Pegram, is looking out for No. 1 in Nashville. He’s a home inspector, and this session he’s pushing two bills to help his business. One would establish a one-year statute of limitations for consumers to file lawsuits against inspectors to recover damages for doing a lousy job. The other requires all members of the state Home Inspection Advisory Committee, which advises officials on industry regulation, to be licensed home inspectors. Call it the Fox Guarding the Hen House Act.
The latter bill came up before the House last week, and Johnson stood proudly in the chamber as the sponsor. He neglected to declare a conflict of interest, as House rules dictate, and didn’t really seem to care when Rep. Gary Moore, D-Joelton, pointed it out.
“Aren’t you in the home inspecting business?” Moore asked.
“I am,” Johnson said.
“I believe if I were you I’d have gotten somebody else to carry my piece of legislation for me… It would appear anyway to be somewhat of a conflict of interest.”
“Yeah,” Johnson said, at which point the House passed his bill by a vote of 93-0. So much for those annoying ethical considerations.
This is all happening in all states. The governor leaves Kansas only 5 days after signing a revised bill that regulates home inspectors when she signed almost the very same thing last year. I bet she never read any of it. She left the hen house before mother hen started crowing. There are several lawmakers in all states who are real estate agents. Just a matter of time before the fed justice department invesitgates. Follow the money (campaign contributions).
If this person is an iNACHI member, Nick should revoke his membership.
He’s not.
One-third of the Tennessee NACHI members all appear to be named “Johnson”, but no Phillip among them.
Must be a member of the no-entrance-requirement diploma mill. Duh.
Jim - After reading your thread, I’d bet a bunch of inspectors in other states (like Kansas or maybe Texas) only wish their Board was inspectors (and not attorneys, real estate agents, etc). Looks good to me
James
The local NACHI here was Approaching him to get the a one-year statute of limitations for consumers here. Not sure about home inspectors on the board though.
Even the guy who pointed out the conflict voted for the bill…my, my, my…
Must have wanted that free lunch.