SC Lawmakers Tasked With Ethics Reform

LEGISLATORS LOOK TO DRAFT TOUGHER LAWS …

By FITSNEWS || Three South Carolina lawmakers have been tasked with leading new ethics subcommittees in the S.C. House of Representatives … which last time we checked (today!) was ground zero in a major federal corruption sting.

Guess we know a good place to start the list of lawmakers who aren’t being “probed …”

S.C. Reps. Kirkman Finlay (pictured, above), Weston Newton and Tommy Pope have been asked by interim Speaker of the S.C. House Jay Lucas to lead three ethics new ethics subcommittees.

A release from Lucas’ office said the work of the committees would “substantially strengthen the House’s reform efforts.”

Finlay was charged with leading a committee investigating the state’s campaign finance laws.  Newton’s committee was tasked with examining the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws.  And Pope’s committee was asked to make recommendations regarding enforcement and investigation.

Finlay has been a leading advocate in the S.C. House for stronger ethics laws – including a comprehensive income disclosure requirement that would help root out much of the self-serving corruption in the S.C. General Assembly.  Unfortunately his efforts have been blocked – and income disclosure was not included in the so-called “reform” legislation pushed by S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley.

For a more detailed report on efforts by S.C. lawmakers to strengthen the state’s laws, CLICK HERE …