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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... OUR VIEW Our View: All ethics reform bills should get a hearing Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Three ethics and public records reform bills introduced by Gov. Kate Brown have the support of legislative leaders in both parties, but House Minority Leader Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, says his caucus prefers tougher measures sponsored by Rep. Julie Parrish, R-West Linn. The governor and majority Democrats should take advantage of rare bipartisan agreement that action needs to happen and give the House bills thorough consideration. All the measures are a response to the ethical questions surrounding former Gov. John Kitzhaber and his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, regarding Hayes' public policy role in the administration and her personal consulting business. Concerns about conflicts of interest wound up causing Kitzhaber to resign as governor. Brown's bills would: Define "first partner" as a public official subject to the same rules as other public officials, and prohibit statewide public officials from being paid for speaking engagements and other public appearances. Expand the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, require that not all its members be appointed by the governor and speed up its investigation process. Require the Secretary of State's office to audit how all state agencies respond to public records requests and recommend improvements to be enacted by the 2016 Legislature. The last measure in particular sounds like a dodge to us. There is ample evidence that state agencies often are slow to respond to records requests, and Kitzhaber's office in particular resisted releasing records regarding Hayes' activities within the administration. McLane says he prefers a Parrish measure that would set shorter deadlines and tougher rules for state agency records responses without waiting for an audit. We agree. Parrish's other bills also go further than Brown's, setting tougher restrictions on a first spouse than on elected officials and providing penalties for people who lie to legislative committees. Those measures may be an overreaction, but they deserve serious consideration. It isn't every day that both parties call for greater transparency from government and tougher regulations to accomplish that. Democrats should seize the opportunity to work with the House GOP caucus to incorporate the best elements of all the proposed bills and achieve public records reform that have been elusive in the past.       MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501