European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Escorted from the Senate podium by of the state s largest Utility company. Who serve part Lime for a month or two each year or every other year. They depend on other jobs for a Livoli Only five states California new York Ohio Illi Nois and Massachusetts have whal would be consid ered full time Legislatures. And in some of those states Many lawmakers also have other  the states with pan Lime Legislatures it is common to find a teacher chairing the education committee a Farmer heading the agriculture committee or a lawyer drafting Bills changing the criminal code. It is also com Mon to find special interests cited As Virtues of the sys tem. Part of the Price for having a citizen legislature is that members Vole on issues that affect Ihm. Said Michael Phillips minority Leader in inc Indiana House. But citizen legislators Are much More effective in rep resenting the people that elected  a doctor or a lawyer could not put in his two cents on a Bill you d be losing a great Deal of expertise said Arizona rep. Jim Skully a Republican. If you Cul off a person1 ability to talk on a subject he s familiar with you d be working against inc Public interest. M 13, 1980 Coal company or Man Thomas ill Martin Heads Ohio Energy environment committee. But Skully thinks there should be limits. Outside the legislature he is a Cusco mar relations representative for greyhound bus lines. He has carefully refrained from voting on any Bills that would affect his company or his Industry. Arizona s Constitution prohibits legislators from voting on any Bill which would Benefit them anymore than it would a substantial majority of his or her profession. Several states have similar provisions. Other slates Are More lax. Utah Law requires stale lawmakers to declare conflicts but also requires them to vote on every Bill unless they receive permission Loa stain front t majority of the House or Senate. Occasionally the Senate Grants Hal permission Bueno one can remember the last Lime inc House did. If 1 had not been in inc legislature i would have been a registered lobbyist said former Utah slate sen Rob Ert Bowen who worked Between sessions As an employee of the teachers  Hal i say so what everyone who serves in a Parttic citizens legislature has conflicts of interests. I you arc More than just a taxpayer you have a  Bowen served several terms on education committee which determined indirectly How much teachers would be paid by setting the stale support level for Public  conflicts Are Good Altitude is also found in full time  Illinois recently the coalition for political honesty a Public watchdog group accused 53 state lawmakers of double dipping holding More than one government Job. One of the targets was House member Harry bus Yourell a Democrat who in addition to making up wards of $35,000 a year in salary and expenses As a legislator has a Job As an administrative assistant to the Cook county recorder of  expertise in county government and As chairman of inc Cook county township commission brings me the abilities and knowledge needed to serve As chairman of the House counties and townships committee Yourell  would want someone who knows nothing about farming or count is or schools voting on legislation dealing with those issues he asked. I would  but Pat Quinn head of inc honesty coalition in t sure the expertise is Worth it. He said 27 of i Host cited Are on the Chicago or Cook county payrolls and 24 of those voted against efforts last fall to inst Lutc sales tax remo Val. Chicago mayor Jane Byrne had joined with gov. James r. Thompson in opposing the lax repeal. Quinn charged that inc 19 on the Chicago payroll arc More Apt to be pawns of mayor Byrne than if their jobs were in private Industry. The watergate Era spawned Reform movements Inmany slates aimed at eliminating abuses by legislators and other Public officials. But Scvell have fallen bythe Wayside and citizens lobbies Aren t totally satisfied with others. California adopted a comprehensive political disclosure and cd his Law in 1974 that was copied in whole or in pan by 38 other states. But the Law was subsequently weakened by a California supreme court decision strik ing Down so Lions which banned political contributions by lobbyists. Illinois legislator Harry Yourell is also assistant to Cook county recorder of deeds. Washington slate voters passed a Lough disclosure la which was placed on inc ballot in 1973 by a citizens initiative petition. It Loo was struck Down by that state s supreme  retains ethics committees in both houses of the legislature. But common cause he citizens lob by is pushing another initiative this year aimed at trans Ferring jurisdiction Over ethics complaints from the legis lature to a Public disclosure commission. In Michigan state courts also struck Down a Post watergate political Reform act that narrowly defined conflicts of  that did t Stop the . Attorney from obtaining an indictment against Farmer sen. Earl Nelson a demo crat who introduced legislation legalizing dog racing after he received an allegedly unsecured loan of $5,000from a dog racing advocate. Nelson denies any wrongdoing and has yet to come to trial. But he was Defeated in a re election bid. Massachusetts enacted a new conflict of interest Law in inc Wake of a major building contracts scandal i which two influential state senators went to Federal Pris on. Common cause pushed the legislation. The Law in Aclid last year is now facing one of its biggest test. Rep. James Craven a Democrat and a pc Loran member of the powerful House ways and Means committee has been charged by the state ethics commission with threaten ing to destroy a slate Agency s budget unless i awarded a $10.000 contract to a Community development group he favored. Craven denied the charges and accused the commission of harassing him for political reasons. Connecticut is also in inc Middle of a Reform move ment but common cause in t having much Luck. The 1980 Connecticut legislature has already rejected a number of proposals to prevent legislators and executive Branch employees from leaving the government Totake jobs in industries they regulate the so called revolving door syndrome. At least five Connecticut lawmakers in the past two years have left office to become lobbyists among their former colleagues in inc capital. Slate common cause director Betty Gallo said the lawmakers turned lobbyists Aren t even waiting for their terms to  one of the measures killed would have prohibited lawmakers who resign from becoming lobbyists for one year. Connect icel s conflict of interest Laws protect special interests More than the Public said Gallo. Maryland s legislative ethics committee recently dropped an investigation of Delegate John Harar caves a Democrat. Inc chairman of inc House appropriations  owns several thousand dollars Worth of Stock in one of inc largest trucking companies in the stale. He was the chief supporter of a controversial Bill to raise truck weight limits. Harar cities to maintained that despite his Stock interests my sponsorship and support of the legis lation in question is air objective and in the Public  asked if he could t Sec a conflict he said you Means m not supposed to vote i m elected to vote. I m not elected to come up Here and Sil on my  the stars and stripes Page 15