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Richard Piatt ReportingDemocrats in Washington and here in Utah took a stand on ethics reform today. At Utah's state capitol, the focus is on staying accountable when it comes to conflict of interest and gifts.
This year it seems ethics is on a lot of people's minds. There are several proposals from Democrats this year and there are at least two Republican proposals too---all of them tackling roughly the same issue.
Capitalizing on the unfolding lobbyist scandal in Washington, Democrats here have a list of bills they say will restore the public's trust in Utah government.
Rep. Ralph Becker, (D) House Minority Leader: "The citizens of this state expect an open, honest and accountable government."
Democrats have at least eight bills that would encourage ore disclosure and openness. They include stricter disclosure of campaign contributions, declaring conflict of interest, and, once again this year, calling for an outright ban on lobbyist gifts to elected officials.
Rep. Pat Jones, (D) Holladay: "That's what the public wants, and really there's no reason for us to accept a gift from a lobbyist."
Republicans also have at least two proposals to address the issue. A House version would require stricter gift reporting and would still require meals be reported. A competing Senate Bill would change the threshold from 50-dollars to 10-dollars.
Rep. Greg Curtis, House Speaker: "It's clearly going to get some debate, and I think it might pass, what's been proposed."
That's the House Republican proposal, Speaker Greg Curtis is referring to. In the past, such reform efforts have been a tough sell, especially in the Senate. In fact, one state senator is opposed to reform efforts again this year.
Sen. Howard Stephenson, (R) Draper: "I think it's simply an attempt to give the press more fodder. I don't think there's a problem. At least, I'm waiting for someone to describe a problem."
Many members of the senate also do not think the public's perception of a problem is enough to pass a bill. In fact, some say legislation passed for such a reason might make the perception worse.
Even so, there are a lot of lawmakers who favor at least one of the bills, more than ever before, which has some people predicting this could be the year some kind of lobbying reform passes.
