Another legislative ethics reform promise broken

Be wary of politicians' campaign promises about ethical reform in the Utah Legislature.

In my experience, the promises are easily made, just as easily broken.

The latest Utah leader to step aside on the sticky ethics issue is the very popular GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

Huntsman said, a few weeks before the Nov. 4 election, that he would form an independent panel to make ethics reform recommendations to him and the public before the 2009 Legislature begins its annual general session in January.

Now, Huntsman says he will wait until the Legislature acts on a variety of ethical issues. Depending on what lawmakers do, Huntsman says he may or may not empanel a study commission, may or may not push for greater changes.

Huntsman changed his mind after incoming House speaker Rep. Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, in a polite manner publicly told Huntsman to butt out of legislative ethical matters.

In putting forth a House GOP leadership plan, Clark said the Legislature, as a separate branch of government, would take care of its own ethical standards. Huntsman can look to the executive branch of government's ethics, thank you very much.

And with Huntsman's statement this week that he will let lawmakers handle legislative ethics — at least through the 2009 general session — he clearly is taking Clark's advice.

This is not the first time that a popular, moderate GOP governor has demanded legislative ethics reform before an election, only to step away from it after taking office.

In 1992, then-insurance executive Mike Leavitt said that there needed to be ethical reform in the Utah Legislature.

After Leavitt got into office he found stubborn GOP legislative leaders who told him what he could do with his ideas of legislative reform.

And Leavitt rather quietly let ethics go and started talking about other pressing problems in state government. As I recall, in stepping aside Leavitt said legislative ethical reform was up to lawmakers, who should follow the demands of their constituents.

Before the 2008 election, Huntsman said he wanted to get involved in ethical reform "because people are demanding it."