ethics reform – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Mississippi Outlaws Personal Use of Campaign Funds

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Legislation that would prohibit politicians from using their campaign finance funds for personal use was signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant Tuesday in his state Capitol office.

When the 2017 session began in January, the bill was labeled as a priority by both House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who presides over the Senate.

Efforts were made to pass similar legislation during the 2016 session, but it was killed in the House. Mississippi was one of a handful of states where politicians could spend their campaign finance funds on personal items.

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Money woes, political distractions in New Mexico kept ethics on the sidelines this session

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State legislators passed a budget, created a REAL-ID driver's license fix, cracked down on DWI and child porn and advanced bail reform. But did they do anything to reverse the tide of indicators that New Mexicans have lost faith in state government?

Guests on the KUNM Call In Show argued Thursday that lawmakers' achievements this session were limited by New Mexico’s budget crisis—and political distractions— making it difficult to focus on anything else.

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New Mexico Senate committee kills ethics and transparency reform measures

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In less than an hour Tuesday morning, the Senate Rules Committee killed two good-government proposals, helping cement the Senate’s reputation as the place where ethics and transparency legislation goes to die.

One proposal, HJR 5, would have asked voters in November to create a state ethics commission, an idea the New Mexico Legislature has contemplated since 2007.

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