Senate Passes Significant Ethics Reform
None by KCPW
(KCPW News) 2007 is the year of ethics reform at the Utah Legislature. State Senators unanimously passed a bill that requires lobbyists to disclose any gift worth they give a lawmakers that is more than ten dollars and all tickets to collegiate and professional sporting events, no matter the value. Even State Senator Howard Stephenson - an outspoken critic of previous ethics reform efforts - voting "yes.""I think it will help people understand that we don't get gifts," says Stephenson. "We schedule time during mealtime to meet with people, but there aren't a lot of gifts given in the first place and this reporting it down to $10 will help the public understand that."
Stephenson and many of his legislative colleagues believe the media has perpetuated a notion that lawmakers receive extravagant gifts. Their new rules - which are likely to pass in the House - leave the disclosure limit for meals at 50-dollars. But they also narrow the loopholes lobbyists use to minimize what they disclose and require lobbyists to report their expenses quarterly.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom, Legislative Coverage, and 2007 Legislative Coverage. Copyright 2009 KCPW
1. Jordan Tanner said:
During the decade of the '90's I was only able to get a tangible gift ban of $50.00 passed. An amended sponsored by then Rep John Valentine removed intangible gifts fromm the ban. Thus Jazz tickets, golf games, travel expenses and other gifts classified as "intangible" continued to be handed out to some legislators. The Senate action this year is a step in the right direction to address ethics reform. But it is only a small piece of the ethics reform that needs to be taken by Utah legislators. Utah remains one of a handful of states without any meaningful campaign finance limitations, special interest money continues to fuel the campaign coffers of the majority of both members of the Utah HOuse and Senate. These same special interests are the same faces that crowd the halls of the capitol building during legislative sessions. They invite lgislators to expensive lunches, dinner and jointly sponsor meetings held for all legislators. The name of the game if called access which the average Utah citizen could never have. Some lobbyist make six figure salaries and are on a first name basis with most legislators. When the Utah Legislature passes campaign finance reform,define in law what is and is not conflict of interest and passes stricter control on "intangible" gifts to legislators, then and only then should Utahns feel the legislature has taken needed reforms seriously. Jordan Tanner (former member of the Utah House)
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