When Idaho Sen. Mitch Toryanski was a West Point cadet, the definition of ethics was clear: A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do. The penalty was expulsion. Now that he's a state senator serving on the Idaho Legislature's bipartisan working group on ethics, it's a bit more complex. "What kind of system do we want to ensure integrity?" Toryanski asked. "I don't think anyone knows what we're going to do, but hey, the conversation's started."

The working group, with four senators and four representatives, half from each party, has been meeting twice a week for the past four weeks to try to find common ground on how to establish an independent ethics commission for Idaho, something 41 states have but Idaho lacks. Legislative leaders have also expressed hope that the group can open the way for debate on other ethics reforms this year, including Idaho's first-ever financial disclosure requirements for public officials; a "revolving-door" law requiring a year's break before lawmakers or other public officials could go directly into lobbying; and a whistleblower hotline for public employees to call in complaints.

Ethics reform was a high-profile issue at the start of this year's Idaho legislative session, but has moved largely under the radar as the working group has held its weeks of discussions; members say they still have lots more work to do. Meanwhile, nine ethics reform bills have been introduced this session. "Ideas are being floated - nobody's waiting on this group to come up with something," Toryanski said. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.
 

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