Ethics.utah.gov provides additional transparency for all four
statewide ethics commissions
Company Website:
http://www.utah.gov
SALT LAKE CITY -- (Business Wire)
Utah citizens can now access ethics standards and complaint procedures
for all four statewide ethics commissions at Ethics.utah.gov.
The Utah Legislature announced the new website today, built in
partnership with Utah
Interactive and the three new Utah Ethics Commissions.
"This site provides clarity. It explains the work of each commission to
Utah citizens," said Senate President Wayne Niederhauser. "We hope we
never have cause to receive an ethics complaint, but if we do the state
now has independent mechanisms in place to investigate and handle the
situation."
Speaker of the House Rebecca Lockhart said, "Utah’s government works
hard to earn high marks for management, performance and public
satisfaction. Today’s launch allows the public to address concerns they
may have with confidence, which will help guard against government
hubris and safeguard the proper relationship between citizens and
elected officials."
Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis added, "This is one more step in our
ongoing work toward government transparency. The new site provides more
access and empowers citizens to address improper conduct by elected
officials."
"I am grateful to have been a part of such a vital creation in the state
of Utah,” said House Minority Leader Jen Seeli. “No one is above the
law. Utahns across the state can know with clarity what is expected of
them, and what the process will be if there is occasion to submit an
ethics complaint. Greater accountability means greater success."
Utah’s four statewide commissions include the Executive Branch Ethics
Commission, the Legislative Ethics Commission, the Political
Subdivisions Ethics Commission, and the Judicial Conduct Commission.
Executive Branch Ethics Commission
In 2013, the Independent Executive Branch Ethics Commission was created
by SB 86. The Commission’s duties include responding to and
investigating allegations of unethical conduct by the Governor, Lt.
Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor and State Treasurer. If the
Commission concludes that evidence of misconduct exists, their findings
will be made public and forwarded to the Legislature for further action,
which may include impeachment. The Commission is comprised of five
members, one former state elected official, one former state appointed
official, one former judge, and two citizens.
Executive Branch Ethics Commission Chair Carol Nixon said, "It is an
honor to serve on the inaugural Executive Branch Ethics Commission. We
expect our state leaders, who were insightful enough to create this
commission, to serve with integrity. However, when citizens bring
serious and legitimate concerns, we are prepared to respond."
Legislative Ethics Commission
The Independent Legislative Ethics Commission was created in 2010 by SJR
3 and SJR 19. The Commission’s duties include investigating allegations
of unethical conduct by state legislators. If the Commission concludes
that evidence of misconduct exists, their findings will be made public
and forwarded to the House or Senate Ethics Committee for a public
hearing. The Commission is comprised of five members; two former
legislators and three retired judges.
Judge Lynn Payne, Legislative Ethics Commission Chair, said,
"Ethics.utah.gov provides citizens with a streamlined resource for
ethics information across all branches of government. For the first time
in Utah, all ethical requirements, guidelines and complaint information
can be found on a single site."
Political Subdivisions Ethics Commission
The Utah Political Subdivisions Ethics Commission was created in 2012
following the passage of SB 180 by the Utah Legislature. The
Commission’s duties include investigating and responding to allegations
of unethical conduct by officials in any political subdivision in the
state, such as counties, municipalities, local districts, and other
subdivisions. If the Commission concludes that evidence of misconduct
exists, it will make a recommendation for disciplinary action and its
findings will be made public.
Political Subdivision Ethics Commission Chair Paul Warner said, "The
subdivisions ethics commission is prepared to objectively hear cases
brought to us. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role
as we each know the importance of having ethical government leaders."
The site also links to the Judicial Conduct Commission, which was
created by the legislature in 1971 and established in the state
constitution in 1985.
Utah
Interactive is an integral partner in building a Web presence for
the State of Utah, which includes the award-winning Utah.gov and
Le.utah.gov.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UtahGov
Facebook: http://www.utah.gov/facebook/
RSS feeds: http://www.utah.gov/connect/feeds.html
Utah blogs: http://www.utah.gov/blogs/
About Utah.Gov
Utah.gov
is the entry point to over 1,000 online services and benefits over 2.7
million residents in the State of Utah. Utah.gov provides citizens and
businesses with more convenient options for interacting with government.
Through Utah.gov, citizens can find public meetings, renew their vehicle
registration, buy a hunting and fishing license, register a business,
find a transparent state budget, and much more. In 2014 alone, Utah.gov
received 15 awards making it the nation’s most honored state website.
Utah.gov is managed and operated through a public-private partnership
between the state and Utah Interactive, the Salt Lake City-based
official eGovernment partner for the state of Utah. Utah Interactive is
part of eGovernment firm NIC’s family of companies.
About NIC
Founded in 1992, NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV) is the nation's leading provider
of official
government websites, online services, and secure
payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment
services help make government more accessible to everyone
through technology. The family of NIC companies provides eGovernment
solutions for more than 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies in the
United States. Forbes has named NIC as one of the “100 Best Small
Companies in America” five times, most recently ranked at No.11 (2013),
and the company has been included four times on the Barron’s 400 Index.
Additional information is available at http://www.egov.com.
Contacts:
Utah Interactive
Sara Watts, 801-983-0275
General
Manager
swatts@utahinteractive.org
or
Utah
House of Representatives
Joe Pyrah, 801-903-0095
Chief
Deputy
joepyrah@le.utah.gov
or
Utah
State Senate
Ric Cantrell, 801-647-8944
Chief of Staff
rcantrell@le.utah.gov
Source: Utah Interactive
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