From the Yankton Press & Dakotan:
Legislative leaders said they expect the proposed code, aimed at reminding lawmakers they are expected to follow high standards of behavior, will be approved in the first few days of this year's legislative session, which opens Tuesday.
The brief code, written in broad terms, says the public requires that lawmakers maintain the "highest of moral and ethical standards," comply with legal requirements involving campaign finance and conflicts of interest, and refrain from offensive behavior, including sexual harassment. It also slightly modifies the procedure for handling complaints against lawmakers.
I've said before and still believe that this doesn't really accomplish anything.
Will this code allow prosecutions for crimes that people got away with before? Does it make it easier to prosecute wrongdoers where we had a really tough time before? Were people getting off with a slap on the wrist before, and this will fix that?
Would this have made any difference whatsoever in the Dan Sutton or Ted Klaudt cases that spawned it?
In the scheme of things, I suppose little money was wasted on the effort to come up with it, so if it makes some people feel better, then have at it.
But let's be realistic about it. I would rather see my government act on logic and reason than blind emotionalism.
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