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Blog Entry from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

Ethics reform on the agenda in Alaska

Alaska, the state that has become ground-zero for public corruption, is considering ethics reform.   Legislators and the Governor are offering an array of proposals:

The Alaska Legislature, reeling from corruption convictions of three of its former members, isn't done arguing ethics.

Anchorage Republican Rep. Kevin Meyer said he plans to put in a bill meant to generate discussion about whether legislators should get to vote on something in which they have a potential conflict of interest. Currently, conflicts don't stop voting.

Meyer is also crafting a bill to forbid state legislators who are running for federal office from raising campaign money when the Legislature is in session. That takes a poke at Kodiak Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux's fundraising for her congressional race during this fall's special session on oil taxes.

Gov. Sarah Palin plans to get into the ethics mix as well with some bills of her own. Palin's legislative director, Russ Kelly, said the specifics are still being worked out.

You have to love this passage: 

Some Alaska legislators are weary of being reminded about the corruption that was in their midst. But it doesn't look as though it's going away as an issue anytime soon.

It's not going away soon.  Far from it.   

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