CAIN SPONSORS BILL TO STRENGTHEN GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY

Bill would create a task force to study Maine’s governmental ethics and transparency laws

AUGUSTA – Senator Emily Ann Cain (D-Orono) is sponsoring a bill to create a task force to review the State’s laws concerning governmental ethics and transparency. The task force would review issues including, but not limited to, financial disclosure for the legislative and executive branches, conflicts of interests, lobbyist disclosure, and public records access.

“As legislators, we must hold up a mirror and do the self-examination that is essential to ensuring high ethical standards, and true government transparency,” said Senator Cain. “This task force would make bipartisan, consensus-based recommendations to ensure our government is functioning as effectively, efficiently, and ethically as possible.”

The task force would include six Senators and seven House members, and consist of members of the committees on State and Local Government, Veterans and Legal Affairs, and Judiciary. If the measure passes, the task force would submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee by December 4, 2013.

Senator Cain is the Chair of the Government Oversight Committee, and is sponsoring several measures this session to increase transparency in government, including LD 1001, which would increase financial disclosure of lawmakers and public employees, and which received unanimous support from the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee earlier this month.

The bill, LD 1222, “Resolve, To Create a Task Force on Maine’s Ethics and Transparency Laws,” faced a public hearing before the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs earlier today.

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