Ethics-reform issues that lawmakers will likely discuss

Some ethics reform likely to come before lawmakers next month:

• Banning gifts by lobbyists to legislators: Last year lobbyists gave lawmakers more than $280,000 in gifts, including meals and Jazz tickets.

• Personal use of campaign funds by lawmakers: One House member last year gave himself $6,000 from his campaign account, others pay for car repairs and buy new clothes.

• Limits to campaign contributions: Currently legislative, gubernatorial and other state office candidates can raise any amount of money from any source — opening up $30,000 donations in a governor's race, and some incumbent lawmakers getting 100 percent of their campaign cash from special interests who have business before the Legislature.

• Ethical wrongdoing: House and Senate members are the only ones who can bring an ethics complaint against a colleague, and that complaint is heard only by other House and Senate members.

• Redistricting: Every decade legislators redraw their own district boundaries, in effect picking their own voters.

• Conflicts of interests: Currently, legislators must vote on every bill, even if they have a clear conflict of interest.