Ethics Mixing and Matching
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., in his state of the state address Tuesday, proudly proclaimed that he would initiate several ethics reform measures in the executive branch, setting an example for the legislative branch to follow.
But the ethics reform example he is setting for legislators may be a bit confusing.
One measure is that he will bar state employees, when they leave government, from lobbying their former colleagues for two years.
The confusion: Huntsman has appointed at least four legislators to high level positions in the executive branch, meaning those legislators, who took jobs with Huntsman right after leaving the Legislature, will be lobbying their former colleagues in the Legislature on behalf of their departments in the executive branch.
They include former Rep. Mike Styler, who is now the director of the Department of Natural Recourses; former Rep. Beverly Evans, who now works on rural business development in the Department of Economic Development; former Sen. Leonard Blackham, who is now the Department of Agriculture commissioner, and former Rep. Jeff Alexander, who has an unpaid position in Economic Development.
Huntsman also said he was banning all gifts to state employees. Yet the food provided for guests at the State of the State event at the National Guard Armory was donated by Utah Food Products Co.
Lisa Roskelley, Huntsman's spokesperson, says the food was donated as part of the "Utah's Own" project to promote Utah-products. The catering service would be paid for by the Agriculture Department, she said.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
But the ethics reform example he is setting for legislators may be a bit confusing.
One measure is that he will bar state employees, when they leave government, from lobbying their former colleagues for two years.
The confusion: Huntsman has appointed at least four legislators to high level positions in the executive branch, meaning those legislators, who took jobs with Huntsman right after leaving the Legislature, will be lobbying their former colleagues in the Legislature on behalf of their departments in the executive branch.
They include former Rep. Mike Styler, who is now the director of the Department of Natural Recourses; former Rep. Beverly Evans, who now works on rural business development in the Department of Economic Development; former Sen. Leonard Blackham, who is now the Department of Agriculture commissioner, and former Rep. Jeff Alexander, who has an unpaid position in Economic Development.
Huntsman also said he was banning all gifts to state employees. Yet the food provided for guests at the State of the State event at the National Guard Armory was donated by Utah Food Products Co.
Lisa Roskelley, Huntsman's spokesperson, says the food was donated as part of the "Utah's Own" project to promote Utah-products. The catering service would be paid for by the Agriculture Department, she said.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
3:58 PM
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