But with no requirements for legislators - or any other state elected or appointed officials - to regularly disclose financial assets, conflicts like this could regularly go undetected. Lawmakers like to say the Noble case showed that the system worked. Idaho gets D- grade in 2015 State Integrity Investigation By Betsy Russell November 9, 2015 Virginia’s new ethics legislation would close some loopholes, skip others By Nicholas Kusnetz ApClick here for more stories in this investigation How did New Jersey rank tops in integrity? By Nicholas Kusnetz May 1, 2015 Illinois and integrity: a strange tale and curious mix By Jeff Kelly Lowenstein June 4, 2015Īrrest of Senate President latest New York indignity By Nicholas Kusnetz and Ben Wieder May 5, 2015 Reform efforts from 2012 State Integrity Investigation By The Center for Public Integrity August 19, 2014ĭemocracy inaction: old equipment and partisan battles threaten election integrity, in Ohio and nationwide By Nicholas Kusnetz August 27, 2015Ī boatload of elections research By Nicholas Kusnetz August 27, 2015 New Jersey: Best score in the country By Colleen O’Dea March 19, 2012 Georgia: Worst score in the country By Jim Walls March 19, 2012 Grading the nation: How accountable is your state? By Caitlin Ginley March 19, 2012 A Senate Ethics Committee convened, to which Noble lied then, on the eve of what would have been a historic vote to eject him from the Senate, he resigned.Ī data-driven analysis of transparency and accountability in all 50 state governments. Suspicious senators rejected the bill Dan Popkey of the Idaho Statesman subsequently disclosed what was behind the bill - even pacing off the distance from Noble’s store to the school. Jack Noble, R-Kuna, proposed legislation to allow certain stores to sell liquor even if they’re close to a school Noble didn’t mention that the bill was designed to help his own convenience store, Jacksmart in Melba, which was directly across the street from an elementary school. In fact, Idaho ranks 41st among the 50 states for accountability, with a numerical grade of 61and a letter grade just short of failing: D. Even though most public officials here may be honest, hard-working and dedicated to doing the right thing, without disclosure requirements, there’s no way to know for sure.Īnd so Idaho, a state of almost 1.6 million residents, does not tally lofty scores in the State Integrity Investigation conducted by the Center for Public Integrity, Global Integrity and Public Radio International. Indeed, Idaho’s lack of financial disclosure and “revolving-door” laws leaves its state government vulnerable. Experts here say many, though, are due to the tireless efforts of certain long-serving individuals - and without more institutional controls, could be lost when they leave office.
There are brightly colored threads of accountability and transparency that run throughout all three branches of Idaho’s state government. Idaho’s early government was progressive, and its reputation has remained generally clean, as reflected in the picturesque visage of Shafer Butte that towers over the state capitol in Boise. There’s no deep history of corruption here, no dingy statehouse corridors or smoke-filled hearing rooms. What grade did my state get? Find it in the drop-down menu below.
0 kommentar(er)
