Beebe Signs Ethics Bills Into Law
by February 17, 2011 7:00 pm 41 views
For some it was a major accomplishment, for others it didn’t go far enough.
Gov. Mike Beebe signed into law two companion bills aimed at reforming state legislators’ travel and their employment after leaving the General Assembly. Senate President Paul Bookout, House Speaker Robert Moore and a bipartisan group of legislators had pushed for the changes as part of an ethics reform package that was watered down from its original vision.
Senate Bill 194 and House Bill 1284, both sponsored and supported by Senate and House leaders, are now Acts 48 and 71 respectively.
The laws would make more uniform reimbursement rates for out-of-state travel by requiring lawmakers to be paid for only the lowest travel costs allowed.
A second provision of the new laws restrict future state lawmakers from lobbying the Arkansas legislature until after a one-year "cooling off" period expires.
The bills were signed without fanfare and did not contain emergency clauses. They will go into effect 90 days after the legislature officially adjourns – a process known as "sine die."