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It is time to end the broad exception from public records laws that Louisiana grants to the governor’s office. A limited exception that would shield from public view only the records directly in the custody of the governor, his chief of staff and his executive counsel should replace the current exception that covers records in […]
A recent change to the state’s ethics code will weaken the enforceability of the state’s ethics laws by making violations more difficult to prove. There have been no problems cited with the lesser burden of proof, which continues to be in effect until August 15. Rather, increasing the burden of proof seems to be an […]
The second special session of the 2008 Legislature reinforced the momentum begun with last month’s ethics session. Louisiana, under its new leadership, is making headway on several priorities that aim to make the state more attractive to investors: making business taxes more competitive, refurbishing transportation infrastructure and investing in regional economic development opportunities. Additionally, by […]
The special legislative session that adjourned on Tuesday yielded an impressive set of reforms to the state’s ethics, campaign finance and other laws. Several long-resisted changes were enacted to disclose public officials’ personal financial dealings, forbid state officials from personally profiting through state contracts, eliminate many of the freebies officials have traditionally enjoyed, require more […]
The administration proposal to insert administrative law judges (ALJs) into the process of ruling on ethics violations would dilute the existing power of the Board of Ethics. While most of the ethics reform package is in line with previous PAR recommendations, this one raises some troubling questions that require additional research. There should be no […]
Reform-oriented strategy was sorely lacking during the 2007 Regular Legislative Session. For a state still neck deep in its recovery from two catastrophic hurricanes two years prior with three extraordinary pots of cash to spend, a lame-duck governor and a term-limited Legislature, Louisiana demonstrated a remarkable capacity for sticking to its traditional script. The unprecedented […]
The state is poised for a big win for ethics reform. A bill to require legislators, statewide elected officials and local elected officials to report their income by source and range has nearly passed out of the Legislature. Successful passage of HB 730 would push Louisiana to become one of the top states in terms […]