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<DIV><FONT size=2>Is this wonderful or not???!!!??</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Now those pure-as-the-driven-snow legislators no longer have
to worry about those pesky, no-account voters whom they allegedly represent
sticking their noses into legislators conduct and business. Phil Hart and
his gutless legislative cronies must be dancing with joy.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>w.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=thansen@moscow.com href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">Tom Hansen</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">Moscow Vision 2020</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 09, 2011 8:17
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Ethics Complaints
by Idaho Citizens May Be Restricted</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Courtesy of today's (February 9, 2011)
Spokesman-Review.<BR><BR>---------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>House
panel approves rule to prevent citizens from filing ethics<BR>complaints
against lawmakers<BR><BR>BOISE - Idaho residents would be barred from filing
ethics complaints<BR>against state lawmakers under legislation that won the
approval of a key<BR>House committee Tuesday.<BR><BR>The new restriction, part
of a series of proposed changes that include a<BR>new violation of "conduct
unbecoming a House member," is awaiting a final<BR>vote before the full House,
which has grappled for a year with various<BR>ethics complaints against state
Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol.<BR><BR>This year, the House received two ethics
complaints from citizens. One,<BR>from Hayden businessman Howard Griffiths,
who launched a write-in campaign<BR>against Hart last fall, targeted Hart; the
other, from Hart supporter<BR>Larry Spencer, was against Rep. Eric Anderson,
R-Priest Lake, who had<BR>filed an ethics complaint against Hart. Both citizen
complaints were found<BR>to be without basis and frivolous.<BR><BR>"I think
that those were both political, and that's one of the things I<BR>would like
to stop with this," said Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney.<BR>"If there's
a legitimate ethics complaint, I think we're going to be the<BR>first ones
that want to prosecute it." Plus, he said if he received a<BR>legitimate
ethics complaint from someone outside the House, he'd file
it<BR>himself.<BR><BR>The existing House ethics rule had been interpreted by
the Idaho attorney<BR>general's office as allowing only complaints from
members already. Denney<BR>noted that the Senate's rule is similar.<BR><BR>The
proposed rule change also "clarifies some of the things that we need<BR>to
take care of so that everyone is treated fairly," Denney told the
House<BR>State Affairs Committee.<BR><BR>It gives the target of a complaint
the opportunity to write a written<BR>response, which already has been the
practice; requires complaints to be<BR>kept confidential until the Ethics
Committee has found probable cause to<BR>look into them, which is a change
from current practice; and requires the<BR>Ethics Committee to meet in
executive session until it has found probable<BR>cause, at which point the
process would become open.<BR><BR>The change also adds a provision, which
Denney said was added in<BR>consultation with House Minority Leader John
Rusche, D-Lewiston, to cover<BR>ethics violations for "conduct unbecoming a
member of the House."<BR><BR>Rusche said that's an important change. "Ethics
proceedings are not<BR>criminal proceedings," he said. "The purpose of an
ethics committee is to<BR>protect the integrity of the Legislature and of the
legislative process."<BR><BR>That means some conduct that might not be illegal
could still fall under<BR>its purview, he said.<BR><BR>The special House
Ethics Committee ended up dismissing all the ethics<BR>complaints it received
this year - including three against Hart - but<BR>voted unanimously to
recommend his removal from the House tax committee<BR>while he presses his
personal fights against back state and federal income<BR>taxes. Last week the
committee dropped Anderson's complaint in exchange<BR>for Hart's voluntary
agreement to give up the vice-chairmanship of the<BR>House Transportation
Committee, from which the panel was considering<BR>removing
him.<BR><BR>Anderson's complaint charged that Hart violated his oath of office
by<BR>fighting payment of his state and federal income taxes, which he
contends<BR>are unconstitutional; by repeatedly citing legislative privilege
to win<BR>delays in his personal tax fights; and by illegally logging state
school<BR>endowment land in 1996 to build his log home in Athol and never
paying an<BR>outstanding judgment in the case.<BR><BR>Hart last week
apologized to the
House.<BR><BR>---------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>Seeya
round town, Moscow.<BR><BR>Tom Hansen<BR>Moscow, Idaho<BR><BR>"The Pessimist
complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change<BR>and the Realist
adjusts his sails."<BR><BR>-
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