Indiana Lawmakers Begin Process Of Ethics Reform

Indiana lawmakers are looking at ethics policies in other states and taking public input as they begin crafting an ethics reform package. The reform effort comes in the wake of an investigation of GOP Representative Eric Turner that exposed gaps in the state’s ethics rules.

Former Colorado lawmaker Peggy Kerns works for the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan research service for state lawmakers.  She says there’s a wide variety of ethics policies across state legislatures – Indiana is one of 20 states that requires legislators to disclose ties to lobbyists, for instance, while it’s one of 14 states that doesn’t require lawmakers to disclose property interests.  And Kerns says other states are stricter about defining conflicts of interest.

“Some states have specific examples of what constitutes a conflict and so it becomes pretty specific – as ownership in a business, for example," Kerns said. "And Wisconsin states that family members cannot benefit from a legislator’s action.”

Common Cause Indiana’s Julia Vaughn says she hopes better enforcement of legislative ethics policies are part of the discussion.

“An internal legislative ethics process doesn’t inspire great confidence in the public,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn’s proposal would allow legislative leaders from both parties to appoint citizen investigators to head ethics inquiries.