GOP leaders vow ethics reform in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Last year GOP legislative leaders, just before the 45-day general session began, said lawmakers would go further in government ethics reform than ever before.

Two weeks before the 2010 Legislature convenes they're saying the same thing. Only this time — if House and Senate leaders can swing it — it may really happen.

And the reforms could include drastically cutting back on the "gifts" lawmakers take from lobbyists, campaign contribution limits and an independent ethics commission to screen citizen complaints against the 104 part-time legislators.

All would be groundbreaking changes, if they happen.

Currently, there are no limits to state and legislative campaigns. There's no independent ethics commission and only legislators, not residents, can bring an ethics complaint. The only "ban" on gifts to legislators from lobbyists are art and recreational/sports tickets over $50.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate met privately for four hours late last week, mostly talking about ethics — what kind of bills they'd like to see, what those topics should be.

GOP leaders want their Republican colleagues in separate caucuses Jan. 20 to review if not actual bills, at least specific changes to current ethics and campaign laws.

"I'd like the bills passed in the House the first week of the session, on the governor's desk by the second week," said House Speaker Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara.

Several of the GOP bills will be fashioned on recommendations made by the Governor's Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy, a group put together by former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and continued by Gov. Gary Herbert.

Leaders also will try to rewrite the current legislators' code of ethics, a critical part of any true reform for the code is at the core of what lawmakers may or may not do.

There's little doubt GOP leaders are pushing reform again because of a detailed legislative ethics citizen initiative now being circulated for voter signatures.

If Utahns for Ethical Government can get 95,000 signatures by April 15, the initiative — much hated by most legislative Republicans — will go on the November ballot.