Not that anybody has paid attention, but it’s legislative report season. A rather stunning 55 separate reports have been submitted to the Legislature in the month of December alone. (You can peruse the list and download reports here.) Some are consequential and worthy of attention (fir instance, the Commission on the Future of Public Education has issued its final report, and we’ve got the annual review of traffic stops sorted by race), while some are routine and destined for a dusty filing cabinet in the State Archives (the riveting Annual Report on Railroad Rights-of-Way for Communication Leases and a whole bunch of Fee Reports from various agencies).

I hope to circle back to some that seem worth reading. But for now, I’m focused on the annual report from the House Ethics Panel, submitted on December 23. As ever, it’s a masterpiece of obfuscation and bureaucratic doublespeak. Because as ever, the Legislature’s ethics regime is designed to protect its members, not the public interest.

Continue reading →