Show rW- - 'MP Wt w il£'' S§: If W W p vfT'- gk-- r j7J iiWWI - 'ZW?J £S$r 8iiWfaWttiini m ’? w'Ww 0 'w'p f 'SfW iiittia The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday October 6 1996 — Page 13 New booklet outlines ethics bribery nepotism laws BOISE Idaho (AP) — There’ a lot of intcreat among Idaho’s public officials in 'a new booklet published by the attorney general’s office covering ethics in gov eminent and state bribery and nepotism laws So much that when the author of the 'booklet Deputy Attorney General William von Tagen took 250 copies of it to the Association of Idaho Counties Convention he came home with about 20 Another 500 were printed and Vbn Tagen says agencies and officials want more copies "I think that shows they want to do the right thing” he said "There is a lot of confusion over the laws and it's an area where public officials want to do the right thing The more of these books we get out the fewer calls we get from them” State laws covering conduct are scattered through the Idaho Code The new booklet tells where to find them and gives guidance on when they might “’Si Tagen said he Isn't aware of any instance in Idaho where an elected official took money for a vote or for an official action “From time to time a public official has unknowingly stepped across the line But the act covers a lot of things” he said Aa an example of the ethical questions that might be covered Win Tagen said a few years ago 3M wanted to fly state legislators to the corporation's Minneso- ta manufacturing facilities to demonstrate the durability of 3M’s materials used to paint license plates If 3M paid their expenses that wouldn’t qualify as bribery Mm Tagen said In an introduction to the booklet Attorney General Alan Lance said public officials whether elected or appointed are servants of the people and the people’s government "They are not entrusted with public office in order to profit themselves their friends or their families Not only Ls this idea a fundamental premise of representative government but in Idaho it is the law” he said “Statutes governing the ethical behavior of public officers ensure that public officials remain public ser- vants” The booklet defines “public servant" as any employee of government including legislators judges and any juror advisor or consultant “Bribery" is receiving a benefit or consideration in return for an “opinion decision recommendation vote or other exercise of discretion” in government Highlights of the report: When someone serves on a board without salary or compensation that per son is not prohibited from having an interest in a contract signed by the board if he takes no part in preparation of the bid request the person makes a public disclosure of his interest the contract is competitively bid and the person takes no part in the final vote The subsequent election of a relative docs not affect the job status of a current employee A county can't enter into a contract for goods or services with the son or daughter-in-laof a county commissioner No person related to a county commissioner by blood or marriage can be appointed to a county job when it is to be paid from public funds w $ f iS Jy REMODELING SALE on savings floor models P I i'J ? Fi a ioj I I 1 F ' “'J MK & :av v PA low sem t? gep&jpH 0 PICTURE GREEK actortfhi K l COPY cr entertainment l£jy CENTERS umiture B 1031 N Main Hours: Mon - Fri & Loqan 753-101- 10am 6:30pm 8 753-535- 0 Saturday 10am - 6pm |