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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins said Tuesday the Senate will support the creation of an independent ethics commission, but there's no consensus on a series of other ethics bills.
"It's not been quite as easy as everybody hoped, but that's just the way it goes," said Jenkins, R-Plain City.
House Speaker Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, has made quickly passing ethics legislation one of his top priorities. House Republicans already have agreed to create an independent ethics commission to screen complaints against lawmakers as well as pass several other ethics initiatives, although no formal actions have been taken.
Those initiatives include banning most gifts from lobbyists and capping campaign contributions. House Republicans also are expected to support a Democratic bill to ban the personal use of campaign contributions.
Utah is one of just a handful of states that doesn't limit who can contribute to campaigns, how large contributions can be or what that money can be spent on.
Public opinion polls have repeatedly shown that Utah residents want stricter ethical guidelines for lawmakers, but the GOP-controlled Legislature has always rebuffed those attempts. That's changing this election year in the wake of accusations of legislative bribery.
Last year, former state GOP Rep. Mark Walker was ordered to pay a $250 fine and complete 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from allegations that he tried to get his competitor in the 2008 state treasurer's race to drop out by offering him a raise.
Another lawmaker was cleared of any wrongdoing after being accused of offering campaign donations to another lawmaker in exchange for supporting a certain bill.
Democrats are hoping to seize upon public resentment over a lack of progress on legislative ethics in recent years. Gubernatorial hopeful Peter Corroon demanded on Monday that the Legislature pass five ethics bills this year, including the creation of an independent ethics commission.
If approved by two-thirds of lawmakers, the constitutional amendment would appear on the ballot before voters in November.
Jenkins says Senate Republicans are still considering the other ethics bills, but there's no rush to get everyone on board. "We're working very hard to get these through, but this has to be something that everybody feels comfortable with," he said.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
