A House-Senate conference committee has approved a compromise bill to implement the new Article 14 of the Constitution – concerning ethics.
It was a compromise to the House version of the bill.
"I think this is a great attempt to implement what Measure One says we need to implement," said Rep. Jim Kasper (R-Fargo), the author of the original House bill, and the chairman of the conference committee.
Kasper called it a "work in progress."
"As you can see, there's heartache and concern," Kasper said. "But I think we have done a pretty good job."
The vote was 4 to 2 – the two Democrats on the committee voted “no.” Rep. Corey Mock (D-Grand Forks) said his “no” vote was based on an amendment that would require someone who complains about a potential ethical violation to have to submit a name and address.
"Article 14 says we have to have a confidential "whistle-blower" hot line," Mock said. "We need due process for anything that rises to a potential criminal level. But I don't want the fact that any complaint or tip that comes in to the Ethics Commission for it to be dismissed outright, because a name and address were not given."
But Kasper said due process means the accused has a right to face the accuser.
The Senate's version was turned into a study.