Ethics panel funded, and powerless

Ethics panel left strapped for funding
NewsOk.com, June 29, 2007
By Michael McNutt

Members of the state Ethics Commission expressed concern Thursday that its staff has less money each year to do its job.

"It's a pattern that we no longer can tolerate," Commissioner John Raley said.

It may be necessary to start a petition drive to seek a constitutional amendment to find a designated funding source for the agency instead of it having to depend on annual legislative appropriations, he said.

The commission's budget has increased slightly each of the past three years, but less money is available to pay for operating expenses.

Increased insurance costs and other employee benefits outpace any additional funding the Ethics Commission receives, said Marilyn Hughes, the commission's executive director.

Budgeted funds

"The commission's budget this fiscal year was $505,000. The budget for the 2008 fiscal year, which starts Sunday, is about $517,000. The commission had asked for about $757,000. The state's budget is about $7 billion.

"The extra money in funding will go for the remainder of last year's pay raises as well as increased costs of benefits for the agency's seven employees.

"The commission will have about $43,000 during the 2008 fiscal year for operating expenses, she said. The office had $56,000 for operating expenses in the 2007 fiscal year and about $80,000 for operating expenses in the 2006 fiscal year.

Commission's role

The Ethics Commission takes care of candidate campaign reports, lobbyist reports, financial disclosure statements and political action committee reports and registrations. A new position has not been added since 1991.

Fight for funding

"The office has not had enough money in some years to buy enough paper, Hughes said. The office, in cramped space in the basement of the Capitol, has not replaced an employee who retired in May because it did not have enough money to pay the retiring employee's accrued leave and benefits as well as the salary of a new employee.

"Commissioners said the office has a funding crisis, and the commission could face a constitutional crisis if it is not given enough money to fulfill the requirements established in a constitutional amendment in 1990 that created the present-day agency.

""There are times when the commission can't do an investigation because it's too big," Hughes said. "They can't afford to take a case to court because it would take all of their general counsel's and director's time when (they) have umpteen million other tasks to do. There are decisions that are made because we don't have the funds."

"Raley, who has been reappointed to a second five-year term, pledged to fight for more funding. "I do not intend to sit here as a potted plant for five years and do nothing about the paucity of funding that this agency has endured," he said.

Email: ProwlMaster@prowlingowl.com