ethics reform

Whether Republican or Democrat, people in public service increasingly find themselves confronted by individuals who feel alienated and insignificant in the political process.

The popular perception is that government is letting the public down and individuals serving in public office are less than honorable. There is mounting concern that democracy is being subverted by special interest money in election campaigns and that elected officials are less than ethical in their actions on behalf of the public at-large. Electoral participation is waning and the public's confidence in their elected representatives is eroding.

Elements of Reform

Ethics Reform Package of 2007

In June, the Legislature passed a package of bills designed to strengthen the 2004 reforms and continue our commitment to improve the ethical standards in New Jersey. This package was swiftly signed into law by the Governor on September 4, 2007.

The ethics bills signed in June include:

• A4326, which prohibits newly elected public office-holders from simultaneously holding more than one elective office;
  
  
• A2465, which creates the crime of corruption of public resources, makes it illegal to knowingly misue taxpayer dollars and other public resources. Violations could result in up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $20,000, or both;
  
  
• A3005, the Public Corruption Profiteering Penalty Act, which authorizes courts to assess extra fines in corruption cases that involve any aspect of award or payment of local, county, or state contracts. Penalities could be as high as $500,000 or three times the value of the property stolen;
  
  
• A3252, which requires the Office of Legislative Services to make available online the complete voting records of state legislators. The data must be updated daily and remain posted on the site for two legislative sessions.

Reforming the Joint Committee on Ethical Standards

The Joint Committee on Ethical Standards is the body responsible for ensuring the ethical integrity of the Legislature. The ethics panel as we have known it for decades is unraveling in a sea of partisan antics. It's time to pull the plug and create a truly independent panel. that is why I sponsored A200 which reforms the Joint Committee on Ethical Standards. This bill passed the Assembly in June and is currently under consideration in the Senate.

The purpose of this bill is to create strict qualifications for its public members. Under the bill, members of the Ethics Committee are required to have at least five years experience as a judge or prosecutor and cannot be members of the Legislature. Currently, all members of the Ethics Committee are legislators. This change will radically effect how the Ethics Committee operates by reducing the influence the Legislature has over its members.

The bill provides the Ethics Committee with greater oversight powers as well. For example, the bill will give the panel the authority to require legislators to disclose financial documents at any time and in greater detail than what is currently required by law.

We have a unique opportunity to shake up the status quo and turn the Joint Committee on Ethical Standards from a paper tiger into a panel with real teeth. It's an opportunity we cannot afford to squander.

Speaker Roberts outlines reform plans and answers questions
at South Jersey's Ethics Hearing

Ethics Reform Package of 2004

In 2004, as part of a concerted legislative effort to reverse this destructive trend, I have authored several pieces of ethics legislation contributing to an aggressive plan to restore public confidence in government. This package of bills represents the most ambitious reform initiative in more than 30 years and places New Jersey among the most progressive states in the country for enacting reforms in public contracting, campaign financing, legislative disclosure, and ethical conduct by legislators. The plan establishes the following precedents:

• Imposes the toughest pay-to-play ban among the 50 states;
• Makes New Jersey the first state to ban no-bid contracts;
• Enables New Jersey to become the first state to institute McCain/Feingold restrictions on issue ads in elections for state office;
• Establishes Clean Elections reform for legislative races ( New Jersey would be the first state to legislatively authorize such publicly financed legislative campaigns);
• Places New Jersey among 23 other states in curbing revolving-door transitions between lobbying and legislating;
• Puts New Jersey in the top tier of states that require accountability of legislators through enhanced personal financial disclosure rules.

Independent Support

The 2004 reforms have won the support of a wide array of good-government advocacy groups and public-policy watchdog organizations, including Citizen Action, AARP, the New Jersey Public Interest Group, and the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce. I remain committed to ensuring that the interests of New Jersey residents - not the special interests - are what take precedence in Trenton.