The Government Administration and Elections Committee passed two ethics reform bills Monday that would revoke the pensions of corrupt officials and make it a requirement for lawmakers to complete ethics training.
But the two bills differ. The Senate bill would create a special committee to deal with unethical behavior by state lawmakers and the House bill would ban lawmakers from introducing bills on behalf of their employers.
There’s another House bill that would prohibit lobbyists from serving on state-appointed boards and task forces. That bill passed 8 to 5.
Rep. Thomas Drew, D-Fairfield, voted against the bill arguing that such prohibition against state service should be for “dishonorable” acts. He said lobbyists serving on these boards are doing a public service. But Rep. Chris Caruso, D-Bridgeport, said that if they feel their public service is so important, they can “give up their position as communicator lobbyists.”
Click here read about why Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, opposed the lobbyist ban in one of the bills.
At some point legislative leaders will have to decide which bill to make law.
