OUR VIEW: Utah GOP fails ethics test

The Utah Republican Party is officially opposed to a legislative ethics initiative that will be on the ballot next fall if sponsors can get the required number of signatures.

The irony is that it's quite likely most Utah Republicans support the initiative. Polls tab the initiative at about 85 percent support. Our former Republican state legislator and governor, Olene Walker, is a supporter.

We're not surprised that the Republican leadership in Utah opposes ethics reform. Republican leaders in Utah's Legislature have spent decades creating a legislative ethics cesspool that is simply an embarrassment. Even the most basic ethics standards are ignored in Utah. Advocates for ethical government have attempted each legislative session to implement standards but legislative leaders refuse to entertain serious ethics reform. The best "ethics reform" we get from the Utah Republican-dominated Legislature are feckless, timid proposals that protect the powerful and keep legislators smothered with freebies and campaign cash that they can spread around at will.

Here is what the ethics initiative would do. It's straight from the Web site of Utahns for Ethical Government, the sponsor of the initiative. (http://www.utahnsforethicalgovernment.org/) The initiative:

* Bans gifts by lobbyists to legislators

* Bans legislators and candidates from using campaign money for personal expenditures

* Bans a candidate from giving his own campaign money to other candidates

* Bans corporations from giving directly to candidates

* Bans legislators from being paid lobbyists while serving in the Legislature and for 2 years thereafter

* Places caps on personal and PAC donations to candidates

The initiave also sets up an independent ethics commission to investigate ethical complaints.

These are not radical proposals. Most states already have them. They are common-sense guidelines for ethical behavior in government. They promote honesty and integrity and keep our legislators accountable to their constituents, rather than lobbyists and others with lots of cash.

The Legislative leadership likes their freebies. It's apparent they'll do everything they can to stop popular ethics reform, including a likely court challenge if we enact it via a popular vote. Utahns need to ask their Republican legislators why their party has a problem with good government. And please, sign the ethics initiative petitions. Don't let the special interests stop this grassroots effort.

For those who wish to learn more about the initiative, there will be a debate Monday in Ogden at 11:30 a.m. at Weber State University's Shepherd Union Wildcat Theater. Former Republican legislator Kim Burningham will speak in favor of the ethics intiative, State Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, will speak in opposition to it. The debate, open to all, is sponsored by the Richard Richards Institute for Politics at WSU.