Ethics bills follow scandals

Recent examples of misconduct prompt key state legislators to promise stronger laws that would open their hearings, disclose their campaign donors and make penalties more severe

North Carolina lawmakers say tighter ethics rules for legislators and other government officials are on the way.

Given the recent flood of disconcerting news, some say the change could not come too soon.

Just this week, former House Speaker Jim Black, a Matthews Democrat, was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for corruption. Rep. David Almond, a Stanly County Republican, resigned abruptly over an unspecified allegation of misconduct.

And the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus has faced mounting criticism for using a nonprofit organization partially funded by groups with interests before the legislature to give college scholarships to relatives of its members.

"This kind of week makes it tough to be a public servant," said Bob Phillips, co-founder of the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform. "I've heard that lawmakers are feeling a lot more criticism and cynicism from their constituents. I hope the ideas for reform we've discussed with them will get attention this session."

The unrelated incidents follow an ethics law overhaul last year, prompted partly by Black's widely publicized transgressions. Some legislators have grumbled privately that the moves went too far, and it was not clear as lawmakers returned this year how much of an appetite they would have for even more tightening of the rules.

But legislative leaders say they will consider additional reforms -- and should pass some -- before this year's session ends.

Among the most significant:

* Opening ethics hearings involving lawmakers and state government workers to the public.

Last year's ethics overhaul made misconduct hearings private, even when preliminary reviews found likely violations.

That stands in contrast to the state's judges, lawyers, doctors and thousands of licensed professionals who face public ethics hearings for misconduct.

Government reform advocates and many newspapers have called on the legislature to open the hearings, and some of its leaders agree.

"I think it's going to happen," said Rep. Deborah Ross, a Raleigh Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the House Ethics Committee. "There's a good-faith effort to make things more transparent."

* Making elected officials found guilty of corruption charges forfeit their government pensions. Local and state elected officials would lose their pensions if convicted of a state or federal offense involving public corruption or a felony violation of election laws.

This has passed both chambers, and Gov. Mike Easley's signature would make it law. Because the law is not retroactive, it would not prevent Black from collecting his legislative pension.

* Disclosing and limiting contributions to the legal defense funds of elected officials and candidates. This is a response to Black's unregulated legal fund.

The House passed a bill that a Senate committee is scheduled to take up Monday. A similar Senate bill awaits action there.

"I think this is an excellent start," said Rep. Melanie Wade Goodwin, a Rockingham Democrat. "We want to make sure that people who are taking other people's money are good fiduciaries. The more sunshine we can put on campaign accounts, the better."

Last year's reforms included the first ethics law for executive branch officials, a ban on personal use of campaign money by elected officials and candidates and a ban on most gifts from lobbyists.

"We enacted pretty sweeping reforms, but there's always more work to do," Goodwin said. "Our greatest challenge is to make sure that we deserve the public trust and that we maintain that trust with the highest integrity."

More reforms are almost a certainty, said state Rep. Rick Glazier, a Fayetteville Democrat.

"I'm confident that we'll have significant additional ethics legislation this year," he said. "We want to restore confidence and integrity to the House and the Senate. And it's the right thing to do."

Glazier and Goodwin favor another bill they consider a reform: a pilot program of optional public financing of campaigns for elected state executive positions, starting with state auditor, superintendent of public instruction and insurance commissioner.

"If we can create better opportunities for people to run for office without having to raise huge sums of money, I think we should do that," Glazier said.

But many Republicans and some Democrats oppose public campaign financing, so its prospects are uncertain.