Oregon lawmakers to review ethics rule
By BRAD CAIN
Associated Press
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 11:40 AM PDT
SALEM — Legislative leaders are launching a review of a new ethics disclosure requirement that has prompted resignations among members of planning commissions and other local government bodies around Oregon.
So far about 150 local public officials, many of them in small cities, have resigned because they objected to provisions of a new rule requiring them to file an annual statement listing their economic interests.
House and Senate leaders say the economic disclosure rule helps promote clean and transparent government. But they also say the Legislature needs to know what led to the resignations.
‘‘Oregon’s smaller communities have been disproportionately affected by the changes we implemented and we’re committed to understanding why this has happened,’’ said Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin.
Since Oregon’s first ethics law was enacted in the 1970s, thousands of public officials have had to file statements each year with the state, listing information about their household’s sources of income. The aim is to provide public disclosure of officials’ economic background.
In 2007, the Legislature added about 800 officials to those who must file the reports. Many of the complaints have focused on a new provision that requires officials to list the names of adult family members.State ethics officials said some of the resignations resulted from misinformation about the new requirements. Some officials erroneously believe that the names and addresses of their children would be posted on the Internet, they said.
‘‘There has been some confusion about what is required,’’ said Ron Bersin, executive director of the state’s Government Ethics Commission.
Even so, legislative supporters of the ethics change noted since the new rules were announced, 97 percent of the 5,400 public officials who are required to file have done so.
In their announcement Monday, legislative leaders said key committees will begin taking another look in June at how much information to require on annual reports filed by public officials. Any proposed changes would be submitted to the 2009 Legislature for consideration.
‘‘We overhauled Oregon’s ethics laws for the first time in 30 years, and it’s natural for there to be some challenges implementing the changes we made,’’ said Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem.
