Senate Republicans joined Governor Rell in calling for a nine-point ethics bill. These proposals will create a criminal penalty for public officials who fail to report a bribe, and give judges the power to revoke or reduce the pensions of corrupt public officials and state employees.
The Senate Republican Caucus stands ready to pass the nine-point proposal immediately, and we will continue to fight for additional ethics reforms including restrictions for state officials who lobby legislators, and the creation of a Standing Committee on Ethics.
We would prefer a bicameral standing committee to deal with ethical violations and acts of official misconduct, but short of reaching agreement across both legislative chambers, I again call on Senator Don Williams to join our caucus in establishing a Senate Standing Committee on Ethics.
A Senate Committee on Ethics can be created by a simple amendment to Senate rules and does not require the approval of either the House or Governor. According to the Office of Legislative Research, 41 state legislatures have designated committees to hear and investigate complaints alleging ethical or legislative rule violations committed by individual legislators.
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