Ethics Board urges veto

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 27, 2008 - Page: 4A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Gov. Bobby Jindal should veto legislation that would require disclosure of the identity of people who file ethics complaints, the Louisiana Board of Ethics voted Thursday.

Under House Bill 906, the Ethics Board would have to provide the name of the accuser to the target of an investigation.

“I’ve had calls from several people who have complaints in the pipeline to ask ‘How can I get my complaint back? I’m scared,’ ” said board Vice Chairman John Greene, of Covington.

Ethics administrator Richard Sherburne said Jindal vetoed similar legislation passed in his February special session on ethics.

Sherburne said the legislation also conflicts with House Bill 290, which would allow the subject of a complaint to get information about it but not the name of the complainer.

Both bills are awaiting action on the governor’s desk.

“The mere fact that there is a conflict is reason to veto (HB290),” Sherburne said.

The veto request came during a meeting in which the board reviewed legislation approved during the just-ended 2008 regular session.

Much of it awaits action on Jindal’s desk, which created problems for the board Thursday as it tried to address questions raised by governmental agencies and lobbying groups.

Many questions surround what level of personal financial disclosure would be required of an assortment of government boards and commissions.

A new law gives people until July 1 to resign from positions and avoid having to disclose their personal financial dealings. The Legislature approved a bill that reduces the amount of disclosure for many government boards and commissions at the state and local level. But Jindal has not yet signed the legislation.

Sherburne said the ethics agency has been receiving a high volume of calls from appointees trying to make decisions on whether they will stay or go, depending on the level of disclosure required.

Requests for advisory opinions came from an assortment of boards, including those that fall under the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District.