Proposed ethics reform detailed

An examination the ethics reform initiative's legislative official code of conduct shows it is clear the drafters are aware of some of the actions reported in the media regarding lawmakers over the years, even some of the more nasty rumors on Capitol Hill.

Here are some examples of proposed restrictions that address perceived concerns:

 Businesses couldn't hire a legislator to be a top-tier manager or sit on a board of directors.

Over the years any number of legislators have been hired into management positions by corporations that routinely have issues before the Legislature.

 No legislator could be a registered lobbyist. Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, has been a registered lobbyist for Utah Taxpayers Association his whole time in office. (Stephenson points out that he doesn't lobby his legislative colleagues, only the executive branch of government in his position as president of the organization.) The initiative says that a legislator couldn't "communicate" with another legislator who is a registered lobbyist. So no legislator could talk to Stephenson.

 No legislator could take on a business client who is a lobbyist, nor could a legislator ask any lobbyist to hire him or her, or his or her relatives. For several years, rumors have circulated in the Legislature that some lawmakers have asked big-industry lobbyists if their company couldn't hire the legislator's firm to do work.

 All lobbyist gifts to legislators would be banned, except "light refreshments of negligible value." Lobbyists finding ways around the current gift-giving rules have been well-documented in the media.

 No legislator should be allowed to take money, in consulting or otherwise, to give advice to a lobbyist on how to get his bill passed. Years ago, an attorney/legislator used to charge clients a fee to write and introduce a bill for them.

 A legislator could not attempt to influence an official action by a legislative staffer/state employee. For years, some officials have complained that a few legislators pressure state employees to lower fiscal notes on their bills to help the bill get funded and passed.

 No legislator could attempt to unduly or unconstitutionally influence another public body or public person. A current state senator was removed as a committee chairman for writing a critical letter to a judge who was considering a case involving a friend of the senator.