Reform Package Introduced For More Than a Month
Senator Tom Kean, the Senate Republican Leader, called on the Legislative Leadership today to move an ethics reform package that has been held up in committee for nearly two months.
“There seems to be some confusion concerning the status of ethics reform bills that the governor has publically endorsed,” Kean stated. “The fact of the matter is that the ethics reform legislation, endorsed by the administration, was introduced on October 23. Additionally, Republicans have introduced multiple ideas to strengthen the governor’s proposal.”
The bills include:
S-2323 – Baroni Changes certain public contracting processes; limits use of certain State funds; changes State Ethics Commission membership; adds public corruption to crimes comprising racketeering activity; changes campaign contributions limits and reporting requirements. (Endorsed by Corzine)
S-2315- O’Toole Prohibits a member of Legislature from seeking certain grants or loans through annual appropriations act or legislatively-controlled program.
S-684- Beck Prohibits county committee of a political party from contributing to or accepting contribution from another such county committee. (Wheeling)
S-685- Beck Prohibits simultaneous holding of certain State, county and municipal elective and appointive positions. (Eliminates the grandfather clause on dual-office holding)
S-686- Beck Provides for mandatory imprisonment and forfeiture of retirement benefits for public officers or employees convicted of certain crimes.
S- 2325- Kean Establishes new limits for campaign contributions by individuals, certain groups and campaign committees. (Limits campaign contributions from a single entity to $65, 000 per year)
“The bills concerning corrupt public officials are especially timely now. Just yesterday the state appeals court upheld a ruling by the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) ruling that public officials cannot use campaign contributions for legal defense,” Kean continued. “It is only common sense that public officials convicted of abusing their office not be allowed to profit from their abuses or to influence other officials from prison by distributing unused campaign contributions.”
S-2395-Kean/Baroni Requires the Attorney General to seize campaign funds of convicted candidates; prohibits convicted criminal offenders from making contributions to candidates and committees.
“The aggregate contribution limits bill will ensure that large special interests don’t have disproportionate influence in the electoral process by limiting campaign contributions to $65, 000 per year to all recipients,” Kean said. “The bill will also help level the playing field in gubernatorial elections to ensure that independently wealthy candidates can’t just buy an election.”
There are also at least two bills introduced establish comprehensive reform of the current system of “Pay-to-Play”:
S-287 Kean Limits contributions by certain public contractors; limits contributions by county and municipal political party committees.
S-760 O’Toole Establishes stricter limits on contributions to county committees of political parties and by county committees to candidates; prohibits contributions between county committees.
“Comprehensive ‘Pay to Play’ reform would almost immediately, favorably impact skyrocketing property tax rates throughout the state,” Kean concluded. “‘Pay to Play’ is after all just a hidden form of taxation.”
Link to Post:
http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/tomkean/kean-move-ethics-reform-bills-now/1768
Similar Posts:
- Beck, O’Scanlon & Casagrande Call for All NJ Legislators to Put Aside Partisan Politics and Finally Pass Real Ethics Reform
August 6, 2009 - Beck: Coniglio Trial Highlights Corzine’s Failure at Ethics Reform
April 17, 2009 - Tom Kean: Corzine Still Hasn’t Appointed Anyone to “Governor’s Local Government Ethics Task Force”
August 10, 2009 - Beck, O’Scanlon & Casagrande Say Coniglio Sentencing Is Another Reminder that Reform Is Needed
September 1, 2009 - Tom Kean: Corzine More than 10 Months Late on Ethics Appointments
August 14, 2009
