Senate Democrats have asked Gov. Asa Hutchinson to put ethics legislation on his call for a special legislative session on other issues.

Hutchinson was noncommittal when asked about it yesterday. I noticed on Twitter an objection already from one Republican senator, Missy Irvin.

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I’d predict there’s no hunger among Republicans for ethics legislation now that they are in charge. The Democrats are doing what Republicans failed to do as the minority party — make ethics their campaign issue.

This is some sensible stuff:

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* Repeal the mulligan rule on ethics violations that allows a candidate to claim an oversight on violations big and small and to correct illegal reporting after it has been called to their attention.

* Prohibit politicians from having multiple PACs (and thus essentially sidestep the $5,000 PAC contribution limit on the corporate money that funds these PACs. Now that individual corporate contributions are banned, the powerful legislators and governor are amassing big sums in PACs).

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* Prohibit lobbyists loans to legislators — such as Sen Jake Files got from lobbyist Bruce Hawkins.

* Require financial reporting by dark money groups that have become major players in Arkansas elections.

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As it now stands — based on control of power and recent reported abuses — these laws would have a negative impact primarily on Republicans. Which is why I don’t expect to see them on a special session call. But the talk can’t hurt.

Rep. Clarke Tucker thinks there’s an opening, particularly, to require some disclosure on spending in state judicial races, which would be a giant step forward. If the governor is serious about his concern with dark money in judicial races, this is something he could do NOW.

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