Rick Karlin is reporting in the Times Union good government groups are hailing a new set of disclosure guidelines they believe will shed more light on the relationships between lawmakers and lobbyists, as well as lobbyist's clients. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics Tues., Aug. 28, approved the new guidelines, which mandate lobbyists or entities employing them to report "business relationships" with state lawmakers, other officials and even state employees if that relationship is worth more than $1,000. The requirements were called straightforward and reasonable by watchdog groups Citizens Union and Common Cause NY, although a cautionary note was sounded: Lawmakers themselves are not required to disclose the relationships, and there are exemptions for lawmakers or state employees who are not proprietors, or who own less than 10 percent of firms that are being paid. Read the full story in the Times Union.