Critics claim that Ralston’s ethics bills will do more harm than good
Not everyone remains convinced about the ethics bills’ intents
- Joeff Davis/CL File
- Holy cow! Can you believe that we actually passed those ‘ethics’ reforms?”
As we reported yesterday, House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, introduced two new ethics reform bills - one focused on lobbyist gifts and another tackling how local candidates file campaign reports.
Ralston, flanked by other GOP lawmakers at a press conference under the Gold Dome, affirmed that these reforms would help bolster previous ethics laws that many consider weak and filled with loopholes.
But despite the speaker’s beliefs that his ethics proposals would help regain the public’s trust and instill “confidence in those they elect to govern,” not everyone remains convinced about the bills’ intents. That includes The Georgia Alliance for Ethics Reform, which has denounced both pieces of legislation.
The alliance - which includes Common Cause Georgia, Georgia Conservatives in Action, Georgia Tea Party Patriots, Georgia Watch, and The League of Women Voters of Georgia - pointed out in an email this morning that: