Issue Position: Ethics Reform and Accountability

Issue Position

The many calls for ethics reform by gubernatorial candidates in this 2007 election cycle, probably generated from the years of era of Edwards and Long, is attributable in large part to Rep. Michael L. Jackson (D- East Baton Rouge Parish), Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr. (D-New Roads, Pointe Coupée Parish), and Eric LaFleur (D-Ville Platte, Evangeline Parish. House bill 723 provided for the most comprehensive ethics reform package on the legislative menu in recent Louisiana legislative history. The bill is quite simple: it "[r]equires legislators and candidates for the state legislature to disclose certain income." While the comprehensive legislation failed to pass, it helped shape what is now a major part of the gubernatorial debate. La Fleur was the leader in promoting executive branch lobbying, prohibiting political fundraising activities during session, and requiring accountability from the governing boards of state retirement systems.

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