Utah Republicans to push ethics amendment

GOP lawmakers said Thursday they're going to campaign for a proposed state constitutional amendment on ethics reform to discourage support for a citizens initiative — even though the amendment may not be needed.

"It gives people something to vote for, rather than something to vote against," Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said. "I would argue it's not a cosmetic choice."

Their efforts were labeled "a cynical political ploy to confuse the public" in a statement by Utahns for Ethical Government, the group behind the petition drive to get a much tougher ethics reform initiative on the November ballot.

"I guess it's how you want to characterize it," Valentine said. "I view it not as a political strategy but a policy choice."

But Valentine is already sponsoring SJR3, a resolution that would set up a legislative ethics commission, reportedly the purpose of the proposed constitutional amendment.

So why go through the extra work of pushing a constitutional amendment through the Legislature that also has to be approved by voters?

Valentine said putting the ethics commission in the state constitution "protects for the future the independence" of the investigation process. And, he said, "it sort of says we mean it."

Or, as Senate Budget Chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, explained, letting Utahns vote for the amendment makes them feel they're part of the reform process.

Valentine said he and other lawmakers are prepared to dip into their own campaign funds, as well as raise money, to help pass the constitutional amendment requiring an independent ethics commission.

"That's a given. It's an election year," said Senate Majority Whip Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, noting half of the Senate and all of the House is up for re-election in November.

GOP senators agreed in the closed-door caucus Thursday that Valentine's resolution should take effect immediately upon passage by the House and Senate, likely early in the session. Joint resolutions do not go to the governor.

"We just wanted to get the process going as soon as possible," Niederhauser said, predicting the ethics commission would be up and running shortly after the session ends in early March.