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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Ethics Attorney general certifies ethics petition

Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Jan 9, 2013 at 11:07 AM

How's that for service? (I'm sure the office would say it is only coincidental.)

This morning I reprinted a little snark from Paul Spencer, who's leading the Regnat Populus ethics initiative campaign, about the attorney general's office's slowness in certifying the form of their measure so that signature gathering can begin.

Just now, I got news that the attorney general's office issued an opinion today certifying the form of the most recent revision of the proposal.

Let the people rule. Let's get this on the ballot and add at least a bit more oomph to ethics regulation in Arkansas.

To recap, the measure:

* Prohibits direct corporate contributions to political candidates.

* Imposes a two-year waiting period for legislators to become lobbyists.

* Makes it a misdemeanor for legislators and statewide elected officials to take gifts from lobbyists.

Tags: Regnat Populus, Paul Spencer, attorney general, ethics initiative

        
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Speaking of...

Regnat Populus plans lawsuit over petition restrictions

April 25, 2013

by Max Brantley

Regnat Populus, the grassroots group that succeeded in putting its ethics initiative in a legislatively proposed constitutional amendment heading to the ballot in 2014, has circulated a statement touting its achievement and defending some of the items grafted onto that amendment to achieve legislative approval, particularly an extension of term limits and a mechanism to raise legislative pay. /more/
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April 11, 2013

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The Arkansas legislature earns its low regard daily, last Friday with committee approval of a constitutional amendment labeled "ethics reform." /more/
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I wrote yesterday about the effort backed by Arkansas's duopoly casinos at Southland and Oaklawn, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and others to cripple the referendum process by, among others, severely limiting signature gathering by paid canvassers. /more/
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Arkansas Blog

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Ethics Attorney general certifies ethics petition

Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Jan 9, 2013 at 11:07 AM

Speaking of...

The Arkansas legislature earns its low regard daily, last Friday with committee approval of a constitutional amendment labeled "ethics reform." /more/

I wrote yesterday about the effort backed by Arkansas's duopoly casinos at Southland and Oaklawn, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and others to cripple the referendum process by, among others, severely limiting signature gathering by paid canvassers. /more/

Comments (4)

More by Max Brantley

Why not dig into the Deepak Chopra playbook for the UAMS move to consolidate with St. Vincent Infirmary?

The Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport put on a big show today to herald an expansion project and the formal renaming of the airport in honor of the former president and former secretary of state, both on hand for the ceremony.

Readers also liked…

Good news today from Paul Spencer, the Catholic High teacher who led the truncated petition drive for a state ethics law.

Looking for excitement Saturday, apart from battling crazed mobs for cut-rate flat-screen TVs? Libertarians and others will rally and march Saturday in Little Rock in support of shutting down the Federal Reserve, establishing an alternate Arkansas currency and other stuff.

I think it's worth a separate bit of attention to the pipeline break and crude oil spill, which apparently followed an explosion.

People who saved…

Event Calendar

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