Brown Seeks 'Robust' Ethics Commission
House Democratic Floor Leader Mike Brown, D-Tahlequah, today called on lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to champion open government by strengthening the state’s Ethics Commission.
“I think we all agree that the way to restore the public’s faith that their government is working for them is to be open about what their elected officials are doing,” Brown said. “And sadly, the honor system doesn’t always work. We need a robust watchdog whose full-time job is keeping us accountable.
“The best way to prove to the people of our state that we are serious about transparency and accountability is to strengthen the Ethics Commission,” Brown stated.
In two recent meetings of the House General Government and Transportation Subcommittee, officials from the Ethics Commission have requested funding for additional personnel, including another investigator. Currently, the commission has only one investigator.
Some discussions in the subcommittee meeting focused on alternatives to adding staff, such as relaxing reporting requirements for campaign contributions or contracting work to the private sector. Brown disagrees with those suggestions, saying it would weaken the public’s faith in the Ethics Commission.
“No matter why we do it, if we weaken the rules or contract out this work, the public will think we’ve got something to hide,” he stated.
“After the serious problems last session with some elected officials’ ethical violations, we can’t turn around and question whether we need this agency,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, I think that some of the Republicans’ discussion came across as partisan, and we all need to clarify our priorities.
“When the House Republicans rolled out their agenda, ethics reform and accountability were high on their list of priorities. We’ve set up the Ethics Commission to carry out that work, so let’s give them the tools they need to do it.”
Brown stated that one of the biggest obstacles for the commission is that it lacks authority to enforce the rules when violations occur.
“When the Ethics Commission investigator finds a potential criminal violation, their work stops there and they have to rely on law enforcement to pick it up. If boards that regulate law and medical professionals can assess fines for violating their rules, then why can’t the Ethics Commission do the same?” Brown questioned. “We’ve given this agency all the responsibility, but none of the authority. This session, I’d like to focus on doing everything we can to give this commission some teeth.”
“I think we all agree that the way to restore the public’s faith that their government is working for them is to be open about what their elected officials are doing,” Brown said. “And sadly, the honor system doesn’t always work. We need a robust watchdog whose full-time job is keeping us accountable.
“The best way to prove to the people of our state that we are serious about transparency and accountability is to strengthen the Ethics Commission,” Brown stated.
In two recent meetings of the House General Government and Transportation Subcommittee, officials from the Ethics Commission have requested funding for additional personnel, including another investigator. Currently, the commission has only one investigator.
Some discussions in the subcommittee meeting focused on alternatives to adding staff, such as relaxing reporting requirements for campaign contributions or contracting work to the private sector. Brown disagrees with those suggestions, saying it would weaken the public’s faith in the Ethics Commission.
“No matter why we do it, if we weaken the rules or contract out this work, the public will think we’ve got something to hide,” he stated.
“After the serious problems last session with some elected officials’ ethical violations, we can’t turn around and question whether we need this agency,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, I think that some of the Republicans’ discussion came across as partisan, and we all need to clarify our priorities.
“When the House Republicans rolled out their agenda, ethics reform and accountability were high on their list of priorities. We’ve set up the Ethics Commission to carry out that work, so let’s give them the tools they need to do it.”
Brown stated that one of the biggest obstacles for the commission is that it lacks authority to enforce the rules when violations occur.
“When the Ethics Commission investigator finds a potential criminal violation, their work stops there and they have to rely on law enforcement to pick it up. If boards that regulate law and medical professionals can assess fines for violating their rules, then why can’t the Ethics Commission do the same?” Brown questioned. “We’ve given this agency all the responsibility, but none of the authority. This session, I’d like to focus on doing everything we can to give this commission some teeth.”
Labels: Ethics Commission, Mike Brown
posted by Mike McCarville @ 6:47 PM
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