Kevin Garn, Sheldon Killpack resignations part of bigger ethics picture

SALT LAKE CITY — The resignation Saturday of former House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, a Republican from Layton, over a nude hot-tubbing incident with a teenage girl 25 years ago is fueling the already heated debate over legislative ethics — especially since it follows the resignation of another high-profile GOP legislative leader from Davis County, former Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack of Syracuse. Shortly before the start of the 2010 legislative session, Killpack stepped down after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

"There's no question, it's a black eye," Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, said Saturday. "These are tough times. We, as legislators, live in a fishbowl down there. It's hard to hide anything."

A new citizens organization, Utahns for Ethical Government, is attempting to make it even harder for questionable behavior by lawmakers to stay hidden — through an initiative petition calling for a long list of ethical reforms, including a code of conduct spelling out that the appearance of impropriety must be avoided.

The organization has until mid-April to collect enough signatures from voters statewide to qualify for the general election ballot in November.

Lawmakers, though, oppose the UEG's efforts. During the session, they passed their own version of improved legislative ethics, including a proposed amendment to the constitution creating a new ethics commission that will be on the November ballot.

The sponsor of some of the ethics legislation, Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, has said lawmakers will use their own campaign money to oppose the citizens initiative. Now, though, he and other lawmakers are expecting a tougher fight because of the resignations.

"Our critics use anything they can," Valentine said. "Both the Killpack and the Garn situations will have an impact."

Gov. Gary Herbert's spokeswoman, Angie Welling, said Garn's situation is "unfortunate." But, she said, it "should not detract from the success of the legislative session, particularly the good work everyone — Democrats and Republicans alike — was able to do with regard to passing a responsible budget in tough economic times that positions the state for future success."

Jenkins said lawmakers also worked hard last session to improve their image with the public in the wake of Killpack's DUI arrest at the end of an evening spent with lobbyists at a bar, Liquid Joe's.