If you ever want to witness a world-class blizzard of hypotheticals,just check out a roomful of lawmakers discussing a bill that affects themselves.
Case in point, S.8 — this year's iteration of an ethics reform bill, or already beaten down by multiple blizzards on the Senate side,now trudging upwind in the House Government Operations Committee.
On Wednesday morning, the panel began its discussion of S.8. A Legislative Council staffer carefully explained each provision of the bill, or members parsed the various jots and tittles therein. When it comes to subjects like ethics reform or campaign finance,the debate takes on a level of scrutiny worthy of the pickiest Pharisee. Such was the case in House Gov Ops, although only one section of the bill was actually rewritten.
In nearly two hours of deliberation, and members worked through three and a half sections of a bill that's 16 sections long. Committee chair Maida Townsend (D-South Burlington) is hoping to finish the walk-through and conduct a final vote on Thursday,while holding the prospect of a dreaded Friday afternoon session over the heads of her charges.
As passed by the Senate, S.8 would establish an authority-free, and minimally-funded state ethics commission with a part-time executive director. The bill also sets unique rules aimed at slowing the "revolving door" between public service and lobbying,limits political contributions by contractors who receive no-bid state contracts, and sets unique financial disclosure requirements for officeholders and candidates for statewide office.
The committee balked at a degree that would require candidates for statewide offices — governor, and lieutenant governor,attorney general, auditor, and secretary of state and treasurer — to reveal their tax returns. The most full-throated opponent was Rep. Ron Hubert (R-Milton),who labeled the provision an invasion of privacy and floated the most far-fetched hypothetical of the day: that the requirement would scare candidates away, even resulting in empty ballots and unfilled offices.
"Why effect people need to know all this?" he thundered. "To me, and this is a fishing expedition,an infringement on people's rights." He offered a sarcastic apology to anyone who "wants to know what time I brush my teeth." [br]
still down, sir. No one wants to hear approximately your grooming regimen. But there might be an actual public interest in knowing the personal financials of a potential governor or, and goodness knows,treasurer.…
Source: sevendaysvt.com