Changes endorsed for new ethics bill

The Arkansas Senate voted Monday to change legislation, sponsored by House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, to strip out language that would have allowed foreign governments or a representative or affiliate of a foreign nation to pay for trips for the state’s elected officials.

The amendment proposed by Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, to House Bill 1401 by Gillam, R-Judsonia, also eliminates provisions that would have allowed lobbyists to pay for “transportation for tours or briefings” in Arkansas to inform state elected officials.

Gillam said he was trying to save state taxpayer dollars on foreign trade missions by lawmakers through the original version of his bill.

Hester said Gillam had good reasons for his bill but that there were a lot of concerns from senators. On Feb. 12, the Senate rejected the legislation in a 12-9 vote with 13 senators not voting.

The amended bill also would create exemptions to the gifts that state elected officials are barred from accepting under state law.

The measure would exempt “anything of value provided by a recognized political party when serving as the host … to all attendees as part of attendance of the event” for the official swearing-in, inaugural and recognition events of constitutional officers, and lawmakers, and “an official event of a recognized political party so long as all members

of either house of the General Assembly affiliated with the recognized political party are invited to the official event.”

It also would exempt nonalcoholic beverages provided to attendees at a meeting of a civic, social or cultural organization or group, and food and nonalcoholic beverages provided to participants in a bona fide panel, seminar, or speaking engagement at which the audience is a civic, social or cultural organization or group.

— Michael R. Wickline