October 5, 2011 •
Ethics Bill Blocked In Massachusetts
An ethics reform bill heralded this summer by Massachusetts House Republicans has been blocked.
The Democratic-controlled house voted 116 to 34 today against a motion allowing House Bill 3718 out of committee for a full vote. Among the changes in the bill are the requirement lobbyists wear badges identifying themselves as such, contribution restrictions for house members, and the prohibition of house members and their staff from contacting public entities regarding pending procurement decisions.
The reform measure arose as a response to the conviction this summer of former house speaker Salvatore DiMasi on seven counts of corruption.
This post follows up a previous article by George Ticoras, “New House Ethics Rules Proposed for Massachusetts” from June 23.
Photo of the Massachusetts Statehouse by Fcb981 on Wikipedia.
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