With the Liberal Party taking office in Canada, a new process for appointing unelected Senate position is taking effect. Under the new process, an independent advisory board will use merit-based criteria to present a list of five potential candidates for each vacancy to Prime Minister Trudeau.

This new measure was motivated by the desire to have a more independent and non-partisan Senate.

Senators from the Liberal Party caucus were expelled last year after accusations of expense account abuse.

National: Ethics-violations-as-campaign-tool in “Ethics Talking Points Take Campaign Stage” by Amanda Becker in Roll Call.

Illinois: “No law stops indicted IL politico from seeking re-election” by Andrew Thomason in the Illinois Statehouse News.

Louisiana: “Watchdog group hopes to shine up Louisiana ethics laws” by Jeff Adelson in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Here is my personal favorite today: They have taken a poll in New Jersey and found that people there are tired of the cursing and name calling among their politicians. Take a look at “Jerks, snobs and …? N.J. voters are fed up with the nasty names” by Matt Friedman in The Star-Ledger. Here is another article offering good coverage – “NJ voters want less name-calling from politicians” by Michael Symons in the Asbury Park Press.