Latest news with #HouseBill674
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Whistleblower tips to Louisiana ethics board will remain confidential
The Louisiana State Capitol. (Julie O'Donoghue/Louisiana Illuminator) An effort to eliminate confidentiality for people who provide tips to the Louisiana Board of Ethics over government misconduct has failed. Louisiana Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said House Bill 160 won't come up for consideration after it missed a crucial deadline for an initial vote in the Senate chamber Monday. 'There weren't the votes' to pass the proposal, Rep. Kellee Hennessey Dickerson, R-Denham Springs, who sponsored the legislation, said in an interview Monday night. The bill would have required the ethics board to reveal the name of a person who provides a tip about alleged wrongdoing to whoever the person accuses of misconduct. Currently, the ethics board never shares a tipster's identity with the target of the investigation. The proposal would also have required ethics board tips to be either signed by a notary or delivered in person to the ethics board staff at their office in downtown Baton Rouge. The board enforces the state's ethics and campaign finance laws for elected officials, public employees, lobbyists and government contractors. On Friday, board members sent a letter to senators encouraging them to vote against the legislation, saying it would have a chilling effect on the public's willingness to provide the board information. Dickerson described the ethics board's letter as 'harassing' and said it helped kill the bill. 'I guess people fear the retaliation of the ethics board being against it,' she said. Dickerson drafted the legislation in response to her own experience with the ethics board. In 2023, the board fined her $1,500 when she was a member of the Livingston Parish School Board and running for state representative. The ethics board concluded she had broken state ethics laws by inappropriately helping a public school teacher get a construction contract at the high school where the teacher was employed. Before Dickerson's bill stalled, lawmakers had already approved another piece of legislation that creates new barriers for bringing charges over an ethics violation. A large share of the board will need to vote in favor of launching an ethics investigation, and the deadline for bringing charges will be more difficult to meet, under House Bill 674 by Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
As charges linger over Landry, Louisiana Legislature passes dramatic changes to ethics law
The Louisiana Legislature has approved an overhaul of the state ethics laws that will make it harder to bring ethics charges against public servants. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a set of dramatic changes to state ethics laws Wednesday that will make it much more difficult to charge elected officials and public employees with misconduct. House Bill 674 alters the process the state ethics board used to bring charges against Gov. Jeff Landry two years ago that are still pending. Landry's charges won't be affected by the legislation, but he pushed for the bill and is expected to let it pass into law. The governor's personal attorney, Stephen Gelé, helped craft the language contained in it. Beyond making it harder to bring ethics charges, the legislation also loosens limits on elected officials' and state employees' state travel, weakens restrictions on government contracts with public servants and their families, and reduces requirements for elected officials and political candidates' disclosure of financial interests. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, said it is a reaction to the ethics board's overzealous enforcement that has frustrated officials in both parties. The anger toward the board was reflected in lawmakers' overwhelming support of the bill. The Louisiana Senate and House voted 34-2 and 92-1, respectively, for the ethics overhaul this week. Yet ethics board members expressed concerns about the bill during its May meeting. Its top staff member, Ethics Administrator David Bordelon, described it as 'skewing' the ethics investigation process in favor of the person accused of wrongdoing. The state's preeminent government watchdog group, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR), also vociferously opposed the legislation. 'This is designed to make sure we don't have ethics investigations,' PAR President Steven Procopio told lawmakers at a hearing last week. This is a developing story. Please check back for more details.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana lawmakers put some limits back in place on gifts to public officials
Rep. Beau Beaullieu has updated his proposal to change state ethics laws concerning gifts to public officials. (Allison Allsop/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers are no longer looking to broadly lift restrictions on gifts to elected officials and public employees while doing their jobs, but they appear intent on discouraging ethics investigations. Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-Iberia, removed language from House Bill 674 that would have allowed public servants to receive $200 worth of gifts annually. This would have applied to all local and state government employees, from a local police officer to the governor. Instead, Beaullieu has rewritten the legislation to keep a portion of a current limitation on government worker gifts in place. Now, gifts that aren't food would be mostly restricted to $200 worth of flowers or a charitable donation to express sympathy for a family death. New allowances for 'seasonal' food and beverages remain in the legislation, however. Under current law, most public officials are not supposed to receive food and drink as gifts unless it's at a party or reception. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Under existing rules, they have to consume the food in person at the event where it is given. The edible gift can cost no more than $79 per person, a cutoff the Louisiana Board of Ethics adjusts every year based on the Consumer Price Index. Beaullieu's updated proposal would allow elected leaders and public employees to take seasonal or holiday foods as gifts for a religious or state holiday, even outside of a party or reception. The cap on food gifts would also be $79 per person per holiday or whatever new price the ethics board adopts in future years. Besides the gift policy changes, Beaullieu's bill contains several ethics law modifications that would make it much harder for the state ethics board to investigate and charge people with misconduct. The ethics board oversees enforcement of campaign finance laws and the state ethics code for public employees, elected officials and lobbyists. Anyone from a public school teacher to the governor can be subject of one of its investigations. The adjustments Beaullieu proposes would require more members of the ethics board to vote in favor of pursuing an investigation and give the board far less time to decide whether a person should be charged with ethical wrongdoing. People accused of ethics violations would also have more ability to push back on the allegations under Beaullieu's bill. If the legislation were to pass, the new standards that would have to be met in order for the ethics board to launch an investigation would be very difficult to achieve. For example, the ethics board would have to be confident that wrongdoing had occurred in order to sign off on any preliminary probe into the alleged misconduct. Ethics Administrator David Bordelon said earlier this month the process Beaullieu seeks would 'skew' the process in favor of the public servant accused of wrongdoing. He also took issue with a new restriction Beaullieu proposed Tuesday on ethical investigations and charges. The state representative added language to his bill prohibiting the ethics board from launching an investigation based on information it received through an advisory opinion request. The board is frequently asked to explain how ethics laws apply in specific situations through advisory opinions. It issues at least a few of these public letters monthly providing feedback. 'If someone submits an advisory opinion request that indicates a violation has already occurred, it should be within the board's prerogative to initiate an investigation of that,' Bordelon told senators at a committee hearing Tuesday. Beaullieu said he is trying to overhaul state ethics investigations because many elected officials feel the board has been too aggressive when pursuing allegations. The state's preeminent state government watchdog, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, has come out strongly against the bill. 'This is designed to make sure we don't have ethics investigations,' Steven Procopio, the organization's president, said of the proposed changes. The legislation is backed by Gov. Jeff Landry, who has had several personal conflicts with the ethics board over his nine years in statewide office. In 2023, the board charged Landry in 2023 with the ethics violation of failing to disclose flights he took on a political donor's private plane to Hawaii for an attorneys general conference. That dispute is ongoing because the governor and board members have not reached an agreement on what Landry's punishment for the violation should be. Stephen Gelé, the attorney representing Landry in this ethics dispute, also helped write Beaullieu's legislation to overhaul the state's ethics laws. The Louisiana Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the bill Tuesday with no objections. An earlier version of the proposal also passed the Louisiana House unanimously, but both the Senate and the House will have to approve the amended version before it can become law. It must pass by the Louisiana Legislature's session adjournment June 12. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Landry misses obvious link between lax ethics laws and low Louisiana standards
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (John Ballance/The Advocate, Pool) It's in our nature as Louisiana residents to be easy-going, whether you're a native Cajun like me or someone who's been drawn to relocate here because of our lifestyle. That's why we're always ready for a good time, we prioritize family, friends and fun, and try not to fret about the things we can't control. But it's also a coping mechanism – and probably not a healthy one. How else can you explain our contentment with constantly being on the lower end for quality-of-life ratings for health care, education and poverty? This might be what Gov. Jeff Landry was talking about – although in a rather awkward way – in his disappointed reaction to the resounding failure of all four amendments he supported in the March 29 election. 'We realize how hard positive change can be to implement in a state that is conditioned for failure,' Landry said on election night. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX What the governor doesn't realize is the part he plays in 'conditioning' residents to accept low standards, and why the substantial changes he wants to make to state ethics laws only reinforces the negative perception of Louisiana, both from within and outside the state. Keep in mind that ethics laws in Louisiana are weak as they currently exist, with minimal consequences for offenders. While some provisions can and should be updated to keep up with the times, the governor has instead set on a path to undermine what little credibility the system has. Landry's ethics law retooling has rightfully caught the attention of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, the state's pre-eminent good government organization. The nonpartisan group's leadership made clear where they stand on the legislative package in a recent commentary. 'That's the wrong message to send in a state riddled with Louisiana's long and sordid political history, particularly when polls show public trust in government is at historic lows,' PAR President Steven Procopio and Research Director Melinda Deslatte wrote. The updates Landry supports include House Bill 674, a complex proposal with dozens of changes in how ethics investigations are conducted. They would give elected officials and government employees questionable leverage to discourage state ethics investigations. Authored by Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, the measure would require the ethics administration to turn over witness statements and other documents obtained early in the investigative process to the subject, even if the ethics board decides not to pursue charges. Beaullieu has said lawmakers from both parties have complained about the ethics board, arguing it needs to be more transparent. That was evident last year when one of his Democratic colleagues in the Louisiana House, Rep. Steven Jackson of Shreveport, gained decisive approval for two ethics law changes. One reduced how often elected officials have to file their personal financial disclosure forms with the state, and the second dramatically cut the fines lobbyists have to pay if they file paperwork late. Jackson's actions followed years of angry exchanges between himself and ethics administration staff over more than $10,000 in fines he was assessed for failure to file campaign finance and personal disclosure reports. Do you see a pattern here? Instead of public officials choosing to change the behavior that put them in the crosshairs of ethics investigators, they've pushed to change the laws meant to discourage such conduct. The trend is poised to continue this year. State Ethics Administrator David Bordelon described the new investigative process under Beaullieu's measure as 'skewed' in favor of a public servant accused of wrongdoing. 'It presents some sort of questionable standards,' he told ethics board members at a meeting last month. The origin story of Beaullieu's legislation speeds past 'questionable' and steers directly toward dubious. It was written with the help of Stephen Gelé, an attorney who has represented the governor in front of the ethics board. When he was attorney general, Landry failed to disclose he took free flights on a donor's private plane for a conference in Hawaii in 2021. Though House Bill 674 wouldn't affect the outcome of charges that have been pending against Landry for two years and counting, it would hinder comparable investigations in the future. More proposed ethics law changes, all with Landry's blessing, would further discourage accountability for elected officials and government workers. House Bill 160 from Rep. Kellee Dickerson, R-Denham Springs, would end the public's ability to confidentially or anonymously report illegal activity. The ethics board has warned lawmakers it would have a 'chilling effect' on people coming forward to report wrongdoing by public employees and leaders. Another Beaullieu proposal, House Bill 674, would end a prohibition in state law on government employees and elected officials from receiving gifts under most circumstances. Between 'seasonal or holiday food' and regular gifts, the largesse could reach up to $400 in value annually. When you think of the potential to grease the skids of bureaucracy with a $100 gift card here or $100 worth of festive fare there, you should get an idea of why Beaullieu's bill might be cause for concern. If not, you don't have to look very far back to find out why – at both the state and local level. There's been minimal resistance to Landry's offensive against state ethics law, which started last year when he got lawmakers to approve giving him more direct control of the ethics board's makeup. And while this year's legislation appears to pack a significant punch, it might just be the first in a years-long assault on the minimal virtues left in Louisiana government. Don't say you weren't warned. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As charges linger over Landry, Louisiana House votes to overhaul ethics investigations
The Louisiana House voted 96-0 for a rewrite of the state ethics laws on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Julie O'Donoghue/Louisiana Illuminator) Investigations into public officials for alleged misconduct could be significantly blunted under a proposal moving forward in the Louisiana Legislature. The bill targets the same process used to bring ethics charges against Gov. Jeff Landry two years ago. The House of Representatives voted 96-0 Monday for House Bill 674, sponsored by Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia. It would give elected officials and government employees more tools to push back on a state ethics investigation. The legislation will now be heard in the Senate. Members of the Louisiana Board of Ethics said the measure would make it harder for the state to pursue charges over ethical misconduct. At 30 pages, the bill is complex and makes dozens of changes to procedures and policies. Yet not one state representative asked a question about it on the House floor Monday before members voted to approve it. Beaullieu said lawmakers from both parties are frustrated with the ethics board, which has been accused of harassing public officials and lacking transparency. The legislation was drafted with the help of Stephen Gelé, an attorney representing Landry in his negotiations with the ethics board over his charges from 2023. Landry did not disclose flights he took on a political donor's private plane to Hawaii while attorney general in 2021, although state law required him to do so. Gelé said Beaullieu's bill wouldn't impact the outcome of Landry's pending charges because it would only apply to complaints and investigations that occur after the legislation passes. Advocates for government transparency have expressed concerns, however. Last week, Ethics Administrator David Bordelon also described the proposed new investigative process as 'skewed' in favor of a public servant accused of wrongdoing. 'It presents some sort of questionable standards,' Bordelon told state ethics board members at their meeting Friday during a lengthy discussion on the legislation. The ethics board oversees the enforcement of campaign finance laws and the state ethics code for public employees, elected officials and lobbyists. Anyone from a public school teacher to the governor can be subject of one of its investigations. Bordelon said witnesses and people interviewed by the ethics staff during an investigation might be less forthcoming if changes in the bill are adopted. Under the legislation, the board would be required to turn over witness statements and documents it secures early in the investigative process, even if the board chooses not to pursue charges. 'It is very much going to change how we obtain the documents and how we present the documents,' Bordelon said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The ethics board will also have less time to decide whether to issue charges over an ethics violation under Beaullieu's legislation. Currently, the board has a year from when it receives a sworn complaint about an alleged ethical violation to bring charges or once the board votes to investigate a potential violation. House Bill 674 would add several more steps to that process by allowing the subject of the complaint to object and respond to accusations more often during the board's deliberations. 'They are lopping off a couple of months, minimum,' ethics board member Alfred 'Butch' Speer said. Former Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Speer to the board after he had served as clerk of the Louisiana House for 35 years. Bordelon agreed. 'From the staff level, we will need to have investigations done quicker,' he said. Speer is worried the legislation would let subjects facing ethics charges 'run out' the clock on investigations by stalling on depositions and other time-consuming procedures allowed under the bill. He suggested the legislature look at giving the ethics board two years to issue charges instead of adding more steps to the process. 'If they drag their feet long enough, then we run out of time,' Speer said. Retired Judge Vanessa Whipple, an ethics board appointee of Gov. Landry, said she's worried the bill would allow any district court in the state to intervene in an ethics investigation so long as a witness in the case lived in its jurisdiction. Currently, ethics cases that reach a state judge on appeal are handled in the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge, where the ethics board is located. Whipple said this provision could result in district and appellate courts issuing conflicting decisions on ethics matters. The proposed changes would also require the ethics board to expand its staff, especially if they are expected to present in district courts across the state, Whipple added. The board would likely need at least one more attorney and possibly more support workers, she said. Bordelon said a financial analysis of the bill he provided to the legislature indicates the changes would cost $100,000 annually. Before the House vote, Beaullieu made one adjustment to his bill in response to complaints from government transparency advocates. He removed a provision that would have required a district court judge to halt subpoenas for an investigation if they annoyed, embarrassed or oppressed a witness. Last year, Landry and lawmakers made changes to the ethics board that give the governor more control over its members. Landry now gets to select his board appointees directly. Previously, he could only pick them from lists the leaders of Louisiana's private colleges and universities provided — a provision meant to insulate the board from political pressure. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
