Ethis and the Utah Legislature are not compatible! The actions of some have tainted the whole body. The public is disgusted with this continued circus - lobbyists offering gifts, meals and tickets to legislators and legislators claiming that accepting these ofers will not influence their votes. Does anyone really believe this rubish?

Hiding behind rules that guarantee secrecy in deliberations and the decision-making process to ethics hearings belie the transparency necessary to clear the air and avoid the feeling of 'cover up' the public will have when this event is finished.

The only thing that will wash off the dirt from the legislature and individual legislators is complete ethics reform.
* This must start with a discontinuance of gifts from lobbyists to legislators.
* Next must be an open meeting requirement for doing the publics' business.
* Third, must be a requirement to use cammpagin funds for only campaign purposes and eliminate such funds for personal use.
* It would help immensely if our legislature was more balanced in its makeup so as to avoid one-party rule.
* Lastly and most importantly, all legislators must adhere to a basic code of honesty and integrity.
Stop the excuses just do it.

The Legislature makes their own rules. Utah has one of the most liberal ethics rules of any State Legislatures in the nation. That fact already means that they are not serious about ethics. Why not form an ethics commission made up of citizens appointed by the Governor to investigate legislative ethics rules throughout the nation and then make recommendations to the Governor. Then the proposal could be given to the Legislature and they would pass it into law... or look exactly like they look now... unethical.

What can ordinary citizens do about ethics standards and ethics reform efforts in the Utah Legislature?

Call your representatives and senators and tell them that you feel it is unethical for them to receive any amount of compensation, gift, etc from someone (lobbyist) who is "educating", "informing" or advising them on any issue before the legislature. Tell them you feel it is unethical for a legislature to offer money or increased compensation to another candidate if they will drop out of an election. Tell them it is unethical for a legislature or lobbyist to offer money in exchange for a vote or absent vote on any issue. Tell them that you are not going to vote for him/her unless serious ethics reforms is completed during this session.

I will be doing this, as well as telling them that I will be extremely disappointed if Curtis, Bramble, and their ilk (current legislative leadership) remains in leadership positions.

Then vote. Do it.

Is anyone listening?
How much louder do our voices need to be before you will hear us?

WE DEMAND ETHICS REFORM! STOP BEING SELF-SERVING BUFFOONS!

I agree with what "Whoa" said above.

One has to wonder if other legislators received the same offer Lawrence did. Also if Lawrence has felt so strongly about the need for ethics reform why didn't she do something or speak out sooner? The stench from this little kerfluffle has permeated the Capitol Hill Old Boys Club for years.

Where is the public awareness and public outrage about this? This relates to an issue the majority of the public felt strongly about last year, yet they are likely to vote the same miscreants back into office again.

So, who, exactly, is truly responsible for this ethical dilemma on the hill? Only the voters.

"Our legislature is the best governing body you can buy for $40,000. Just ask Energy Solutions" That's the joke that floats around Capitol Hill every year when they are in session. I am a staunch conservative Republican but I have come to the conclusion that having too many of one party in power is a dangerous thing. I have made contributions to House and Senate leadership when I have had issues that affect me in front of them. They were more than happy to slop up the money like pigs at the trough. There was certainly never any quid pro quo but it was understood that if I wanted any kind of audience to air my position with the law makers a donation would help. For fear of repercussions I say here in anonymity "throw the bums out!" By the way, the self righteous Democrats bringing about this action toward Greg Hughes are no better. They are with the Republican law makers slopping at the same trough.

ALL gifts to legislators have to stop! Of course they don't want it that way--they would have to pay for their own Jazz tickets and their own golf junkets. They remind me of any third-world country politicians--go for all the money you can squeeze out of everyone, and deny that you did anything wrong. Time for the bums to go! VOTE THEM OUT!!!

Get government out of business interests, and the business interests will get out of government.

The more government passes laws favoring one business or industry over another, the more incentive there is for those businesses to spend time and money lobbying politicians rather than improving their own company.

The idea that banning all gifts will stop the supposed quid pro quo is naive. Organizations that have something to gain or lose by potential laws will find other ways to have an influence.

Rather than trying to ban everything, just make it transparent by having legislators and lobbyists post within 48 hours any gifts they received or gave out.

For example, let's say you represented a citizen's group that wanted to implement a reform that was already taking place in another state. A reasonable thing to do would be to fly legislators to see the program in action. If you banned all gifts, such fact-finding activities would be illegal, unless the legislator paid for him/herself, and that's not going to happen when you're only making an extra $6,000 a year for being elected.

Too often, when people think of lobbyists, they only think of wealthy firms, which isn't accurate.

I hardly think that Susan Lawrence was the only Republican offered money by Curtis and Hughes during the voucher debate. Remember the bill only passed into law by one vote. I think that Wed.'s hearing will bring other such offers into light. From what I've read and heard in the news, Lawrence did try and bring this to the attention of the Republican House leadership. One can only imagine how effective that would be.

Totally agree. This is nothing new. Nor is electing and then re-electing "miscreants" to the House and Senate. No one here to blame but the voters. PLEASE VOTERS ... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

And here you can see the problem. In response to a story that has absolutely nothing to do with gifts from lobbyists, the cure is to .... ban lobbyist gifts???

Sorry, but Bernick's snake oil does not cure all. If the public doesn't understand the issue any better than that, then nothing will ever change.

By the way, did anyone notice the change in the story today? The letter only said that Hughes told Lawrence that he could help raise her up to fifty thousand dollars for her campaign, not that he actually offered her any money at all.

Sorry Demos. That's not a bribe under the law. That's oldfashioned coalition building that has gone on since our founding father wrote the federalist papers.

People who support an issue support people who agree with them on the issue. No conviction here.

But one thing is for certain, Phil Reisen breached Lawrence's trust by taking a letter she wrote in order to help shape policy and using it as a campaign smear tactic, which is why the legislature has the rule banning disclosure of ethic complaints, to keep unscrupulous opportunists like Reisen from manipulating the process.

When the people were legislated out of the constitutional right to demand a redress of its representatives, it became a self serving and corrupt government. Without this power of the people our government is left to its own devices and methods of covering up issues. This loss of constitutional power of the people is why our legislators don't fear the public or listen to the public. Bets are that this will end up in a stalemate and no actions or criminal charges filed on anyone. People need to take back power of government and make all representatives accountable for their actions and corruptions even after they leave office. They should not be allowed to oversee and put on trial thier own body of representatives, this is the job of the Attorney General, the courts, and the people.

I agree with the statement above:
"But one thing is for certain, Phil Reisen breached Lawrence's trust by taking a letter she wrote in order to help shape policy and using it as a campaign smear tactic, which is why the legislature has the rule banning disclosure of ethic complaints, to keep unscrupulous opportunists like Reisen from manipulating the process."

Ethics investigations should be private, at least in their initial hearings. Releasing the information to the news media contrary to existing rules is a cheap intimidation tactic which will discourage honest ethics complaints and encourage more smear tactics, even where no evidence can be presented against the accused.

Quote:
"When the people were legislated out of the constitutional right to demand a redress of its representatives, it became a self serving and corrupt government."

Maybe I missed something in the news, but there are going to be elections this year, right? And there was a nominating process whereby any citizen could run for office by simply paying a $10 processing fee, right?

Well, I think that constitutes a "redress of its representatives." It's called democracy.

Commoner, the letter states

"he (Hughes) told me that if I were willing to change my position on the school voucher issue, and vote in support of a bill on vouchers to be introduced in the next session, he knew where he could get a large sum of money for my campaign."

That sure sounds like an offer to me. Rep. Lawrence apparently did not accept the offer. But did others?