Gov. Bobby Jindal introduced a special session of the state Legislature on Sunday for an “ambitious, aggressive and comprehensive” ethics reform.
The governor proposed that reports on state spending be easily accessible on the Internet and archived for three years. He said public servants and elected officials should be required to complete ethics training.
“Today we embark on the single most important endeavor for the future of Louisiana,” Jindal said.
The state ranks 49th in the nation in terms of public disclosure of finances, Jindal said.
Jindal said reform is necessary to draw investors and improve the state’s reputation in Washington.
He said reform would “help erase the Louisiana image created by generations past.”
Jindal said reform would not be an easy task. He said critics “fear a Louisiana where what you know is more important than who you know.”
“We must be bold,” Jindal said repeatedly throughout his speech.
State Sen. Yvonne Dorsey, D-Baton Rouge, said the governor is optimistic but thinks he will be successful.
“There’s lots of room for compromise,” she said.
Jindal said the ethics reform must precede other important issues the Legislature will address, including improving roads, modernizing education and creating a more effective workforce.
Jindal said the government must eliminate conflicts of interest.
“Elected officials must serve the public, not themselves,” he said.
He said the government must “shine the light of day” on special interest lobbyists.
“The public deserves to see who special interest groups are trying to influence,” he said.
Jindal said judges must be held to the same financial disclosure requirements as officials in the executive and legislative branches.
The governor said the people have mandated the ethics reform.
“Tax payers have a right to know how their money will be spent,” he said.
Jindal pledged an “unyielding commitment” to work side by side with legislators.
“An honest government has nothing to hide and nothing to fear,” he said.
Jindal said if any of his cabinet members were indicted on an ethics charge he would immediately ask them to resign.
“We must put politics aside,” he said. “We must do what is right for Louisiana.”
Dorsey said the reform probably will not affect how the University handles its finances because it has “done tremendous work in accountability and transparency.”
—-Contact Emily Holden at [email protected].