Critical changes to executive branch ethics
* Unlike previous executive branch ethics agencies, the legislation proposes that no one elected official chooses a majority of the appointments to the commission.
* The legislation grants to the commission the crucial power to randomly review ethics filings to ensure honesty and accuracy.
Critical changes to lobbying oversight
* All state and municipal lobbyists and their clients must report business relationships with state public officials.
* Expands the definition of lobbying to include lobbying for resolutions.
Critical changes to legislative branch ethics
* The most important change is that the legislation creates an office of legislative ethics investigation. This new entity would have a board that contains no lawmakers and no lobbyists, among other restrictions. In addition, the new office has the powers necessary to fully investigate complaints.
Critical changes to campaign finance enforcement
* As proposed in the legislation, the State Board of Elections (SBOE) enforcement counsel and special counsel would have four-year terms with removal only for cause. The enforcement counsel would have power to initiate investigations. The legislation requires a majority vote of the in order to stop an investigation from going forward. Determination of violation and issuance of penalties would still rest with the Board.
Critical changes to disclosure requirements
* Currently, public officials are required to disclose the sources of outside income and the value of that income within ranges established in law. However, those dollar-figure ranges are redacted from public view. Under the legislation those dollar-figure ranges would become public and a new range is added from $250,000 to $1,000,000.
* Those required to report under the lobbying law would now have to report business relationships they may have with public officials. Such relationships are not currently disclosed.
* Candidates would be required, for the first time, to file disclosure with the State Board of Elections in a uniform format that would be made available to the public on-line.
* Expenditures by individuals or groups that are independent of the candidate, and thus were not subject to campaign finance disclosure, would be required to file disclosure that would, for the most part, mirror the disclosure of candidates. Thus, the public will know the names of those who contribute $100 or more to these groups.
