The Senate Rules Committee unanimously approved two measures
Wednesday to help discourage members of the Legislature from voting on
bills that could personally or financially benefit them. Sen. Andrew
Rice, author of SJR 53 and SB 1671, says his bills are an effort to
keep members honest while at the same time helping increase public trust
in the legislative process.

“Unfortunately, public trust in our government is very low. With
these bills, I’m trying to refine our laws to show the public that
members will be held accountable for their actions should they choose
to vote on measures that are clearly a conflict of interest for them,”
said Rice, D-Oklahoma City. “By creating a penalty for this type
of violation, I believe we can avoid members acting in their own interest
when voting on legislation and restore the public’s faith that we
are working only in their best interest.”

SJR 53 would amend the state constitution to create more specific guidelines
for legislators to determine whether or not a personal or private interest
is in fact a legal conflict of interest. A legislator would have to consider
whether the interest impedes his or her independence of judgment; the
effect of the member’s participation on public confidence in the
integrity of the Legislature; and the effect of the lack of representation
of the member’s constituents if he or she refrains from voting on
the legislation.

If the public approved the constitutional amendment found in SJR 53, SB
1671 would create a penalty for those legislators found not disclosing
a conflict of interest on a measure and voting on the bill, which personally
or privately benefitted them. Currently, there is no punishment for legislators
who vote on legislation that benefits them. Under SB 1671, violators would
be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary
up to ten years, by a fine no greater than $50,000 or three times the
amount of the gain the legislator garnered from the approved legislation,
by both fine and imprisonment. SB 1671 also would allow the Legislature
to determine rules of its proceedings to provide sanctions against members
found in violation of this law.