New Jersey General Assembly News

ROBERTS/DECROCE BIPARTISAN ETHICS REFORMS PASS ASSEMBLY

Measures Would Reformulate Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards; Disqualify Criminals from Lobbying

(TRENTON) - Two ethics bills sponsored by Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce that would overhaul the state's Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards (JLCES) and bar convicted individuals from registering as lobbyists today passed the General Assembly.

"Ethical checks and balances should work to ensure maximum public confidence about legislative conduct and the legislative process; the current system is grossly failing to achieve that aim," said Roberts (D-Camden).

One measure (A-2452) would restructure the JLCES, removing all legislative members and giving the committee more power to require financial disclosure by lawmakers.

"We have seen that an ethics committee dominated by legislators was incapable of effectively carrying out its mission," said DeCroce (R-Morris).  "This legislation will end the gridlock on this committee and hopefully make the panel more effective in holding lawmakers accountable for compliance with our ethics rules."

The new eight-member panel would be comprised of New Jersey residents, no more than two of whom may have served as a member of the Legislature.  The Senate President, Assembly Speaker, and the Senate and Assembly minority leaders would each be required to appoint two members to the panel.  Selection of the panel's chair and vice-chair would rotate between the majority and minority parties.

The bill also would:

• Bar the committee from accepting a complaint against a member of the Legislature within 90 days of an election;
• Authorize the committee to request additional financial disclosures from individuals under investigation; and
• Mandate each member of the Legislature participate in an annual ethics training, in addition to the completion of the online ethics tutorial already required by law.

If enacted, the leaders said the measure would put New Jersey in line with the majority of other states that do not allow sitting members of the Legislature to serve on an ethics commission.

"We have a unique opportunity to shake up the status quo and turn the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards from a paper tiger into a panel with real teeth," said Roberts.

"This is an opportunity we cannot afford to squander," said DeCroce.

The Assembly passed the measure by a vote of 74-0-1.

The other measure (A-2495) would disqualify any individual convicted of a first, second, or third-degree crime from registering as a lobbyist.  The prohibition would extend to any former elected or appointed official convicted of a crime that touched upon their office.  Violators would be subject to up to $10,000 in fines.

"Individuals who have committed serious crimes should not be in a position to influence the legislative process," said DeCroce. "I am encouraged that today the Legislature is working in a bipartisan manner to clean up our house and do the right thing for the people of New Jersey."

"We must show we are serious about putting our own house in order if we expect the residents of New Jersey to put their trust back in us," said Roberts.

The Assembly passed the measure by a vote of 78-0.

The bills now head to the Senate for further consideration.

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