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Redesigning the office of inspector general, the state’s executive branch waste and fraud watchdog, needs to be a front-burner priority for the governor. Nearly a year has passed since the death of Bill Lynch, the state’s first and only inspector general (IG). Yet, it is still unclear when and whether a replacement will be named, […]
Rising ticket prices have prompted some legislators to complain about ethics laws that prohibit them from receiving tickets to sporting and cultural events valued above $100 per event (or $500 a year per donor). They complain that the current threshold prevents elected officials from receiving tickets to any but the cheapest seats. Such complaints are […]
The Senate should reject a proposal to keep negotiations between the state and business prospects secret. HB 744 would prevent the public from examining Department of Economic Development (DED) records, regarding negotiations with businesses interested in locating or expanding operations in the state, for up to two years. Proponents argue the proposal is needed because […]
In a 5-4 vote, the House and Governmental Affairs Committee reported favorably a bill that would repeal a hard-won law banning campaign contributions from riverboat gambling interests. Proponents of HB1549 believe that the ban is unfair because other gambling interests are allowed to make contributions. This argument fails to consider a very important fact: state […]
Image plays an important role in economic development and Louisiana’s image has suffered from a history of lapses in governmental ethics. Fortunately, the state has made progress in enacting laws on ethics, lobbying and campaign finance. However, further tightening of these statutes is needed to help prevent situations where the appearance, and in some cases, […]
The House narrowly voted down Senate Bill 1032 that threatened to carve out a major exception in the Ethics Code by weakening the code’s safeguards against conflict of interest in land use decisions. The bill was originally drafted to allow public officials in small communities to make applications for zoning or subdivisions without running afoul […]
House Bill 33 would add an exception to the Ethics Law to allow third parties to pay the fees for legislators and legislative staff to attend educational seminars or conferences. This so-called “minor exception” would add to a long list of exceptions that already allow legislators to receive food, drink, entertainment and transportation paid for […]