Put teeth in ethics reforms

State Senator Don Williams announced his proposed ethics reforms for the 2008 legislative session, including:

1 Revoke pensions of corrupt officials.
2 Require ethics training for legislators and municipal elected officials.
3 Examine Extending restrictions to State Officials who lobby legislators.
4 Create a permanent bi-partisan process for investigating alleged misconduct by legislators.
5 Enact a code of conduct and a criminal penalty for elected officials who fail to report a bribe.

But now Governor Rell is weighing in:

saying that ethics proposals made by Senate President Pro Tem Don Williams and other Democrats yesterday are not going to cut it with them unless the ethics committee the Democrats propose looks into the controversy surrounding Democratic state Senator Tom Gaffey of Meriden.

I don't disagree with this. But as I discussed in a post six months ago, the NYTimes editorial board really made a critical point about real ethics reform...

CTs state's attorneys should be given the power of subpoena.

As the NYTimes opined:

the federal government cannot keep galloping in like the cavalry to save the day. Connecticut has to change its culture of corruption in much the same way, says Andy Sauer of Connecticut Common Cause, as the South had to change its racist attitudes 50 years ago to make repeated federal intervention unnecessary. The analogy is apt.

And concluded:

Strengthen the chief state’s attorney’s office by giving the state’s top prosecutor the power to issue subpoenas during investigations. The Legislature stripped away that power several decades ago when the chief state’s attorney was deemed too aggressive in fighting in-state corruption. The office must have more authority...

Sooner or later, state legislators must set aside their ingrained desire to protect their friends and instead strengthen the rule of law for everyone. It is the only way to fix a state that, for good reason, has become known nationwide as Corrupticut.

I hope Hartford does the right thing. But I have to admit... I don't have very high expectations for reforms with real teeth, such as subpoena power, being passed. After all, such reforms would need to garner the support of the people who work Under the Gold Dome.

Tim White