Ethics panel awaits questions

By Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 7, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Andrew Romanoff

It took two years to seat the state's ethics commission, but Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff is hoping for answers to key questions about Amendment 41 within 20 days - with the clock starting as early as today.

Romanoff, D-Denver, will ask statehouse leaders today to approve a dozen questions on the ethics amendment voters approved in 2006.

Questions include whether the children of public employees are prohibited from accepting college scholarships and whether college professors must forgo prizes for their work.

"We're going to submit those questions to the ethics commission this week in order to remove some of the ambiguities that surround this law," he said.

Amendment 41 bans lawmakers from accepting gifts from lobbyists or gifts of more than $50 from anyone. It bans gifts of more than $50 to state employees or families.

"The overarching question is, does a public employee or a public official violate 41 only by taking a gift that's meant to influence an official act?" Romanoff said, "or by accepting anything of value in excess of the limit?"

The commission has 20 days to respond.

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