The Center for Public Integrity

Oversight Summary
Oversight Survey

Wyoming is one of 27 states in which no outside agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 8 of those states where any outside oversight for members of the legislature is lumped in with the responsibilities of the secretary of state or attorney general.

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What, if any, ethics agency exists in the state?

None.

If the above agency does not oversee legislators, is legislative oversight defined in statute?

No.

Are there state statutes that address ethical conduct for legislators?

Yes. Wyoming Statutes Title 9, Chapter 13, "Government Ethics," applies to legislators, as does Wyoming Statutes Title 6, Chapter 5, "Offenses Against Public Administration."
http://legisweb.state.wy.us/statutes/titles/title09/chapter13.htm
http://legisweb.state.wy.us/statutes/titles/title06/chapter05.htm

When were the ethics statutes enacted?

1998

Where do legislators file outside interest disclosures?

Wyoming Secretary of State, Election Administration. See Info Resources.
http://soswy.state.wy.us/election/election.htm

Oversight Summary
Oversight Survey

Missouri is one of 23 states in which an outside ethics agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 10 of those states where the ethics agency also oversees both personal financial disclosure and campaign finance disclosure for members of the legislature.

Missouri is one of 9 states that waited until the 1980s or the 1990s to established outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements of legislators.

Of the 32 states that have outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements for legislators — 23 that cover ethics and disclosure, plus nine that cover disclosure only — Missouri is one of 17 where the legislature has some involvement in choosing commission members. Only three states — California, Hawaii and Massachusetts — have members picked without the input of the legislature.

Budget

Missouri is among 10 states that did not approve a budget for its ethics agency exceeding the rate of inflation, or 7 percent, between 1997 and 2000. Those states include Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and West Virginia. Two state ethics agency budgets — in Missouri and Montana — actually decreased during this time period.

Oversight Summary
Oversight Survey

Alabama is one of 23 states in which an outside ethics agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 13 of those states where the ethics agency also oversees personal financial disclosure for members of the legislature.

Alabama is among the 22 states that established outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements of legislators in the post-Watergate 1970s.

Of the 32 states that have outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements for legislators — 23 that cover ethics and disclosure, plus nine that cover disclosure only — Alabama is one of 17 where the legislature has some involvement in choosing commission members. Only three states — California, Hawaii and Massachusetts — have members picked without the input of the legislature.

Budget

Alabama is among 22 states that did approve a budget for its ethics agency exceeding the rate of inflation, or 7 percent, between 1997 and 2000. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. Six state ethics agency budgets — in Arkansas, Georgia, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey and Washington — at least doubled during this time period.

Oversight Summary
Oversight Survey

Iowa is one of 27 states in which no outside agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 9 of those states where an outside ethics agency does oversee disclosure for members of the legislature, in this case only campaign finance disclosure.

Iowa is among the 22 states that established outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements of legislators in the post-Watergate 1970s.

Of the 32 states that have outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements for legislators — 23 that cover ethics and disclosure, plus nine that cover disclosure only — Iowa is one of 17 where the legislature has some involvement in choosing commission members. Only three states — California, Hawaii and Massachusetts — have members picked without the input of the legislature.

Budget

Iowa is among 10 states that did not approve a budget for its ethics agency exceeding the rate of inflation, or 7 percent, between 1997 and 2000. Those states include Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and West Virginia. Two state ethics agency budgets — in Missouri and Montana — actually decreased during this time period.

Investigation

Of the 32 two states with outside ethics and/or disclosure oversight, only two ethics agencies — in Florida and West Virginia — cannot initiate an investigation or investigate an anonymous complaint. Only one agency, Alabama's, cannot issue subpoenas.

Oversight Summary
Oversight Survey

Nebraska is one of 23 states in which an outside ethics agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 10 of those states where the ethics agency also oversees both personal financial disclosure and campaign finance disclosure for members of the legislature.

Nebraska is among the 22 states that established outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements of legislators in the post-Watergate 1970s.

Of the 32 states that have outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements for legislators — 23 that cover ethics and disclosure, plus nine that cover disclosure only — Nebraska is one of 17 where the legislature has some involvement in choosing commission members. Only three states — California, Hawaii and Massachusetts — have members picked without the input of the legislature.

Budget

Nebraska is among 22 states that did approve a budget for its ethics agency exceeding the rate of inflation, or 7 percent, between 1997 and 2000. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. Six state ethics agency budgets — in Arkansas, Georgia, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey and Washington — at least doubled during this time period.

Oversight Summary

Oversight Survey

Arizona is one of 27 states in which no outside agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 8 of those states where any outside oversight for members of the legislature is lumped in with the responsibilities of the secretary of state or attorney general.

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What, if any, ethics agency exists in the state?

None.

If the above agency does not oversee legislators, is legislative oversight defined in statute?

Yes. Arizona has the House Ethics Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee, which is enabled by Arizona Revised Statute 38-519. Each committee consists of five members, not more than three on each can be from the same political party.
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/38/00519.htm

Are there state statutes that address ethical conduct for legislators?

Yes. Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 38, Chapter 3, Article 8, "Conflict of Interest of Officers and Employees" and Article 8.1, "Standards of Conduct for Members of the State Legislature" apply to legislators.
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/38/title38.htm

When were the ethics statutes enacted?

1968

Oversight Summary
Oversight Survey

South Carolina is one of 27 states in which no outside agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 18 of those states where no ethics agency oversees any aspect of disclosure. South Carolina is among seven of those states — including Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and Ohio — in which an outside agency is setup to oversee other divisions of government.

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What, if any, ethics agency exists in the state?

South Carolina has the South Carolina State Ethics Commission, which is enabled by the South Carolina Code of Laws s.8-13-310. The Commission does not have jurisdiction over state legislators. It oversees other public officials, with a few exceptions, public employees and public members.
http://www.state.sc.us/ethics/

If the above agency does not oversee legislators, is legislative oversight defined in statute?

Yes. South Carolina also has the House of Representatives Ethics Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee, which are enabled by the South Carolina Code of Laws s.8-13-510. Each ethics committee is composed of six legislators, who are elected by the respective chambers.
http://www.lpitr.state.sc.us/code/t08c013.htm

Maryland is one of 27 states in which no outside agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 9 of those states where an outside ethics agency does oversee disclosure for members of the legislature, in this case only personal financial disclosure.

Maryland is among the 22 states that established outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements of legislators in the post-Watergate 1970s.

Of the 32 states that have outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements for legislators — 23 that cover ethics and disclosure, plus nine that cover disclosure only — Maryland is one of 17 where the legislature has some involvement in choosing commission members. Only three states — California, Hawaii and Massachusetts — have members picked without the input of the legislature.

Budget

Maryland is among 22 states that did approve a budget for its ethics agency exceeding the rate of inflation, or 7 percent, between 1997 and 2000. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. Six state ethics agency budgets — in Arkansas, Georgia, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey and Washington — at least doubled during this time period.

Investigation

Of the 32 two states with outside ethics and/or disclosure oversight, only two ethics agencies — in Florida and West Virginia — cannot initiate an investigation or investigate an anonymous complaint. Only one agency, Alabama's, cannot issue subpoenas.

New Mexico is one of 27 states in which no outside agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 8 of those states where any outside oversight for members of the legislature is lumped in with the responsibilities of the secretary of state or attorney general.

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What, if any, ethics agency exists in the state?

New Mexico has an Ethics Administration in the Office of the Secretary of State.
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/ethics.htm

If the above agency does not oversee legislators, is legislative oversight defined in statute?

No. However, New Mexico Statute s.10-16-11 requires the legislature to draft a code of conduct.
http://198.187.128.12/newmexico/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=fs-main.htm&2.0

Are there state statutes that address ethical conduct for legislators?

Yes. New Mexico Statute, Chapter 10, Article 16, "Government Conduct Act" contains some provisions that apply to legislators.
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/PDF/gca1.pdf

When were the ethics statutes enacted?

1967

Where do legislators file outside interest disclosures?

New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State, Ethics Administration. See Info Resources.
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/ethics.htm

Texas is one of 23 states in which an outside ethics agency oversees ethical conduct of state legislators. It is one of 10 of those states where the ethics agency also oversees both personal financial disclosure and campaign finance disclosure for members of the legislature.

Texas is one of 9 states that waited until the 1980s or the 1990s to established outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements of legislators.

Of the 32 states that have outside oversight of ethical conduct and/or disclosure requirements for legislators — 23 that cover ethics and disclosure, plus nine that cover disclosure only — Texas is one of 17 where the legislature has some involvement in choosing commission members. Only three states - California, Hawaii and Massachusetts — have members picked without the input of the legislature.

Budget

Texas is among 22 states that did approve a budget for its ethics agency exceeding the rate of inflation, or 7 percent, between 1997 and 2000. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. Six state ethics agency budgets — in Arkansas, Georgia, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey and Washington — at least doubled during this time period.