New Ethics Recommendations Given To Legislators

A new batch of ethics recommendations has been delivered to legislative leaders in Kentucky. But many of the proposals have a familiar ring.Sixteen recommendations for strengthening the legislative ethics code await consideration. The list would prohibit lobbyists and their employers from making campaign contributions to lawmakers during regular sessions, and prohibit lawmakers’ spouses from being employed as lobbyists. House State Government Committee Chairman Mike Cherry will study the proposals in coming months, to determine if they should be put into bill form.“There are some of those recommendations that I think we need to pass," he says. "I hasten to add that Kentucky, as far as its legislative ethics is concerned, is one of the strongest states in the nation.Similar recommendations from the Legislative Ethics Commission have been made in previous years, but didn’t see much action. If past history is any indicator, most new ethics laws are approved in the wake of scandals.