Topeka ? Some lawmakers are so concerned that they are getting biased testimony from professors that they are pushing legislation to require universities to disclose consulting contracts between professors and businesses.

The Senate Utilities Committee endorsed a bill Thursday that would impose the requirement on state universities, community colleges and Topeka’s Washburn University.

The Senate committee’s vote came the same day the House Elections and Ethics Committee endorsed a similar bill.

“It is just good, open government,” said House Committee Chairman Tony Powell, R-Wichita.

Opponents of the measures argue that compelling schools to disclose the information could discourage businesses from hiring Kansas faculty.

“I think it will have a real chilling effect on consulting,” said James Coffman, provost at Kansas State University.

Last year, Rep. Dennis McKinney, D-Greensburg, questioned whether advice provided to farmers and ranchers by Kansas State’s research and extension program is influenced by professors who have consulting contracts with large grain or meatpacking companies.

“Disclosure allows greater public scrutiny, and in the long run enhances public trust of the university,” McKinney said during a Senate Utilities Committee hearing this week.

Earlier this month, Dennis Weisman, a Kansas State economist, testified for a bill to ease regulations on Southwestern Bell without disclosing that he had once worked for the telecommunications giant.

“I thought I was getting testimony from an objective expert,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Karin Brownlee, R-Olathe. “Instead, I was hearing from a former Bell employee.”

Weisman said although Bell had asked him to testify, it didn’t compensate him. Noting that he had published some articles critical of Bell, Weisman said his past employment is irrelevant.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, agreed, saying information about professors’ consulting contracts is irrelevant.

“I have yet to see the problem that we are trying to solve,” he said.

Coffman said a state Board of Regents policy already requires universities to monitor outside work done by their faculty and to resolve conflicts of interest.

“Conflicts are going to exist,” he said. “When they do, they get addressed.”

The Senate committee amended the disclosure provisions into a House-passed bill, which would allow government agencies to close records that could compromise the security of energy and telecommunications systems.

Consulting contract measures are HBs 2959 and 3013.