Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has signed an executive order intended to strengthen ethics policies in the executive branch of state government.Some provisions of the order signed Tuesday were part of ethics reform legislation that failed to win approval in the 2008 legislative session.Beshear says one new provision allows the attorney general and state auditor to have input in the appointment of members to the Executive Branch Ethics Commission.Another requires that all legal defense funds be registered with the commission and donations to the funds from companies that dobusiness with the state will be prohibited."Unfortunately, the General Assembly failed to pass these proposals, a failure that I find unacceptable. Neither I nor the people of Kentucky can wait another to change the way we do business in Frankfort," Beshear said.The governor says new ethical guidlines will apply to some 74 policy-making and regulatory boards that fall under the executive branch.(Thanks to Stu Johnson, WEKU/Kentucky Public Radio)
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.