Session taking shape focus

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Mar 26, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:30 a.m.

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Gov. Bobby Jindal’s key allies already are proposing changes to his ethics initiative barely a month after the previous changes became laws.

A key House leader in Jindal’s ethics special session is sponsoring legislation to postpone — for a year — the filing deadline for one of several new disclosure reports due from public officials and their kin.

Another Jindal floor leader wants to loosen a ban on free tickets to certain sporting and cultural events to allow legislators to attend political functions without paying.

The bills are among some four dozen proposed changes to state ethics laws submitted in advance of Monday’s start of the 2008 regular legislative session.

Bills seek to expand personal financial reporting to include levee board members, political party executives, more governor’s appointees and transition leaders.

Rep. Hunter Greene, R-Baton Rouge, the head of Jindal’s tax committee, is one of a trio of lawmakers wanting certain elected officials to disclose the hiring or appointment of campaign contributors.

The governor’s ethics package won lopsided legislative approval. Lawmakers proposing changes now sponsored or supported the bills that won approval back in February.

Jindal, who campaigned for stronger ethics laws, did not respond to five requests for interviews since Monday, March 17.

Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Kostelka said he  is not surprised that changes are needed.

“There’s going to have to be cleanup without undoing the package to clarify it, to make it workable,” said Kostelka, R-Monroe. “It’s going to be a work in progress.”

As chairman of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, Ruston Rep. Rick Gallot handled many of Jindal’s ethics measures. His proposals for the regular session came from talks with Louisiana Board of Ethics officials.

“If you look at the list of bills I filed, they are to address what we found to be areas that need either clarification or cleanup of something,” said Gallot, a Democrat.

Gallot said he has shared copies of the legislation with Jindal’s office. “They are pretty much on the same page as we are. They want to make sure everything is clear,” he said.