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Democratic Candidates Push for Ethics Reform |
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Concerned about the ethical cloud surrounding the state legislature, a group of Democratic legislative candidates from Utah County has signed a guarantee promising to sponsor legislation to pass specific ethics reforms. This guarantee goes significantly further than the recent pledge instigated by Utahns for Public Schools.
The candidates’ “guarantee to support ethics” calls for ethics reform changes that have been ignored by the state legislature. They include:
- Creation of an independent commission to investigate ethics cases involving legislators. Currently, legislators investigate each other.
- A ban on all gifts from lobbyists that exceed $50 in value. Currently, lobbyists can give a gift of any amount. They only need to report gifts of $50 or more.
- Disclosure by the legislator and the lobbyist disclose of all gifts, not just those over a certain amount.
"Ethics reform must be a priority for the next legislative session," said Debbie Swenson, a legislative candidate and currently a Nebo School Board member. "It seems as though many of our legislators are legally serving themselves and their own special interests rather than the people of the state. Just because something is legal doesn't necessarily make it right."
Swenson is running against Representative Michael Morley, who has been accused of sponsoring legislation for his own commercial interest as a general contractor. He has also been involved in the building of charter schools and buildings leased for state agency offices.
“This is a major step towards ethics reform,” said Boyd Petersen, a candidate from south Provo. “If all of these candidates got elected, there would be ten more votes for making sure public servants actually serve the public. That would be huge.”
Petersen is running against Representative Becky Lockhart, who, along with Senator Curt Bramble, admitted that they arranged for the Mountainlands Applied Technology College to build a float for the Utah County Republican Party. It is illegal for a public school to use public funds or resources for partisan purposes. No ethics charges were filed against Lockhart or Bramble, who also serves as co-chair of the legislature’s ethics committee.
The candidates signing the guarantee include RaDene Hatfield, Senate 16; Ken Peay, Senate District 13; Gwyn Franson, House District 27; Mary Lou Huffmon, House District 57; Steve Baugh, House District 58; Paul Thompson, House District 59; Boyd McAffee, House District 60; Deon Turley, House District 61; Claralyn Hill, House District 62; Don Jarvis, House District 63; Boyd Petersen, House District 64; and Debbie Swenson, House District 66.
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