Enhancing ethics on the state and national levels

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen is applauding a vote last night in the House approving an independent Office of Congressional Ethics. He issued the following statement today:

“This is another important step forward by the new majority toward restoring the trust of the American people in their Congress. In conjunction with other reforms the House has adopted over the last 15 months, it will help to put an end to the corruption that was rampant under the previous leadership. I am pleased that many of the reforms Congressmen David Obey, Barney Frank, and David Price and I introduced in 2006 have helped to shape this movement to restore the voice of the people to the People’s House.”

On the state level, the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee has just approved a bill that will increase the amount and types of information that public officials must disclose. It will next go to vote before the Senate. The bill, sponsored by Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, also requires the information to be posted online.

Sen. Lisa Marrache, R-Waterville and chairwoman of the committee, issued the following statement today: “We have been diligently working on ethics in our committee. These are major changes, and not to be taken lightly. For a citizen legislature it is important that the people have faith in their elected officials, and that they know how their work at the Legislature intersects with what they do with their jobs in the community.”