For one, there were bad feelings generated between House Democrats and GOP moderates and House conservatives. And one investigation may still go before a state grand jury.

Also, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, lost his seat to his Democratic challenger — the first time a sitting speaker has been turned out of office in at least 50 years. And ethics was a part of that campaign.

In fact, House Republicans and Democrats say legislative ethics was a topic in their elections as they've never seen before — often with Democrats saying the majority Republicans refuse to clean up questionable actions in the House and Senate.

In a House GOP caucus meeting late last month, Rep. Brad Dee, R-Washington Terrace, who will be the new majority whip in the 2009 Legislature, said it is up to House Republicans to "own" the ethics reform issue next month and pass a slew of ethics laws — including banning gifts from lobbyists to legislators — early in the 45-day general session.

The political pressure will then be on senators to take up those measures, House members say.

Clark says that while Huntsman has done a good job on ethics in the executive branch of government, lawmakers should keep within their own ranks their authority to discipline their own members — and not give that up to an independent commission, as some legislators and others want.

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