An amended version of the House speaker's proposed changes to Arkansas' ethics laws was approved by a Senate committee Tuesday, including changes that had been promised by representatives when they passed the bill.
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Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, said his proposed exemptions to the ethics laws that are based on a voter-enacted constitutional amendment were meant to be narrowly tailored to allow state officials to accept expense-paid travel for in-state tours and foreign-trade missions.
Those exemption were written into House Bill 1401, which passed the House on Monday despite concerns that the changes broadened the ethics law -- Amendment 94 to the Arkansas Constitution -- beyond the examples proposed by Gillam and his supporters.
Gillam promised to amend the law as it was considered in the Senate. On Tuesday, tighter definitions were presented by the bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, and then adopted by the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Under the original language passed by the House, Gillam's bill would have allowed lobbyists to pay for "transportation for tours or briefings." The Senate amendment clarifies that officials could only receive such trips within Arkansas.
The amended bill also specifies that trips abroad can be paid for by foreign governments "or a representative or affiliate of a foreign nation." The previous language simply said such trips could be paid for if they were arranged by foreign nations.
The third change clarifies that gifts received at an inaugural event or party be given to everyone attending.
Gillam said what he had in mind was lawmakers and legislative committees having transportation provided to visit sites such as the Big River Steel plant in Osceola. However, he also said the original language could have provided for out-of-state trips like the ones lawmakers could take before the passage of Amendment 94 in 2014.
The bill's original language appeared to allow foreign-trade missions to be funded by lobbyists working with foreign governments, but Gillam said that ambiguity was gone.
"There's no way a domestic lobbyist could pick up the tab for" a foreign-trade mission, Gillam said. Asked if a foreign lobbyist could, the speaker said he did not believe so, but he acknowledged that it was difficult to come up with language that would cover all different types of foreign government systems.
The bill, as amended, is now up for consideration by the full Senate. If passed, the House must approve of the Senate changes.
A Section on 02/08/2017