On Wednesday, at the monthly meeting of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, Executive Director Carol Williams explained three changes to ethics laws in Kansas recently enacted by the Kansas legislature.
This month’s ethics meeting was a telephone conference call, with only one member of the Ethics Commission and some staff attending the meeting in person. All others joined the meeting by phone.
Commission Chairwoman Sandifer explained that Speaker O’Neal’s hearing has been continued until July 22.
Carol Williams, Executive Director’s Report
On Friday, May 8th — the last day of the legislative session – the legislature passed new laws affecting the Ethics Commission:
- Candidates for statewide office are now required to file campaign finance statements electronically (as recommended by the Ethics Commission)
- Candidates, Parties and PACs must put a “paid for by” message on E-mails and other types of Internet communications that expressly advocate for or against a candidate.This new law does NOT apply to independent groups or individual citizens. An individual citizen still has the right to send out a mass E-mail without any “paid for by” sponsorship message.
- State university professors earning more than $50,000 must file statements of substantial interest with their university instead of the Ethics Commission.The executive officer of each state regent’s university will notify the Ethics Commission about which professors are required to file the forms locally with the state university. The forms are still open records, but now must be requested from the state universities. The change becomes effective July 1, 2009.This should relieve the Ethics Commission from monitoring the status of several thousand reports filed with them, and now the individual state universities will have that responsibility.
Ms. Williams speculated that the legislature in its next session might tackle problems related to issue advocacy.
Ms. Williams gave an overview of the March 2009 Summary of Expenditures by Registered Lobbyists. Spending was down in almost all categories compared with the same three months last year. See the report here. Additional details of lobbyist expenditures during March are in this online document.
Civil Penalty Assessment Orders
Late reports result in $10/day penalty up to $300. Those receiving penalties this month included:
- Bob Dyche, Candidate for City Council, $300 penalty
- Cynthia Dyche, Treasurer for Bob Dyche, $300 penalty
- Eric Hite, Candidate for City Commission, $10 penalty
- Jacob Swisher, Treasurer for Eric Hite, $10 penalty
- Damon Isaacs, Candidate for City Council, $20 penalty
- Theresa Nelson, Independent Lobbyist, $300 penalty
Civil Hearing on Complaint 441
Jessica Brown, Candidate & Treasurer for Register of Deeds in Garnett, had not returned a required Receipts & Expenditures report in Jan. 2009. She was facing a $300 civil penalty as well as additional fines during the civil hearing.
Because Ms. Brown had refunded money, filed the necessary termination report, sent the Commission an apology explaining she had been suffering from a very serious illness that had delayed the report, the Commission saw fit to show compassion, dismiss the complaint, and waive the civil penalty.
Dismissed Complaint 424
After the approximate 30 minute secret Executive Session, the Commission on advice of counsel moved to vacate Complaint 424 with prejudice (meaning it cannot be re-filed at a later date) against Kris Van Meteren. This was previously reported in this separate article: Attorney General Says Kansas Ethics Confidentiality Rules are Unconstitutional.
As a result of this action, Commissioner Emert suggested that the staff look at possible revisions to regulation 19-6-1, which was then asked for by Chairwoman Standifer.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Ethics Commission is scheduled for June 24 at 1 PM, only if there are matters for the Commission to consider.
Related:
- Attorney General Says Kansas Ethics Confidentiality Rules are Unconstitutional, Kansas Meadowlark, May 13, 2009.
- Big Agenda Change in Ethics Commission Meeting on Wednesday, Kansas Meadowlark, May 11, 2009.
- Fort Hays Prof Fined $300 by Ethics Commission, Kansas Meadowlark, March 18, 2009.
Tags: Ethics
