"The Official Portrait of Miss InDiana"

"The Official Portrait of Miss InDiana"
aka "Miss Victory"

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Ethics smethics! Indiana's lawmakers don't seem interested in ethics reform

The Journal Gazette in Ft. Wayne offers us an excellent editorial on ethics (actually lack thereof) in the Statehouse. This editorial is a MUST read.

Here are the ethics bills currently being shunned by Indiana's greedy lawmakers. We like HB 1063.

Senate Bill 59: Reduces from $100 to $25 the minimum reportable amount for total daily gifts to a legislator or a legislative employee given by a registered lobbyist or a single gift received by a legislator or legislative candidate.

Senate Bill 165: Provides that an individual who has served as a member of the General Assembly may not register as a legislative branch lobbyist during the period that ends one year after the date the legislator leaves.

House Bill 1063: Provides that a member of the General Assembly, a candidate for a legislative office, an officer or employee of the General Assembly or a member of the immediate family of any of those individuals may not accept a gift from a lobbyist. Provides that a lobbyist may not give a gift to any of these persons. Provides that violations of any of the prohibitions on giving or accepting gifts is a Class B misdemeanor. Provides that an individual who has served as a member of the General Assembly may not register as a legislative branch lobbyist during the period that ends two years after the date that the individual ceases to be a member.

2 comments:

Timothy Maguire said...

Hmmm. I really like the idea of cracking down on lobbyist gifts to current legislators.

Some of the wording about candidates, however, makes me worry if it will increase the filing requirements for the regular joe, thus making it more complicated to run. One of the bills sounds like it'll increase the reporting minimum to $25. The current reporting requirements ($100+) required of every candidate are already a pain in the rear.

I'd rather prohibit gifts to sitting legislators (and their employees), but leave challenging candidates alone.

Anonymous said...

Mike Delph is a leader. This is his bill. WOW! Illegal immigration reform. Property tax reform. Ethics reform. Great work!