Huntsman expects to sign ethical standards soon

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Thursday he hopes within the next week or so to sign an executive order spelling out new ethical standards for executive branch employees that he described as pre-emptive.

Huntsman told reporters during the taping of his monthly news conference broadcast on KUED Channel 7 he announced he would sign the order in his recent State of the State address because lawmakers have been unwilling to pass executive branch ethics bills.

"I moved because I don't want to wait any longer, and I gave it a couple of years," Huntsman said of the reforms — a two-year "cooling off" period before executive branch employees could become paid lobbyists, and bans on nepotism and gifts.

Still, he said, some reforms he believes are needed for the governor's office still need legislative action, including limits on the size of campaign contributions candidates can receive and the number of terms that can be served.

Just as he did after his annual address, the governor said Thursday he wasn't trying to influence lawmakers to impose ethical reforms on themselves. Lawmakers have long been reluctant to tighten legislative campaign and lobbyist disclosure requirements.

"The Legislature can do whatever they feel strongly about," Huntsman said. "It's completely their call. But I never want it said about the executive branch that we took loosely or lightly our ethical charge."