Fewer Foxes Guarding the Henhouse

At the beginning of last week, the New Jersey State Senate approved legislation that would ban members of the Legislature from serving on the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, the Committee that investigates allegations of ethical impropriety made against current legislators. The bill mandates that all members of the Committee be chosen from the public and reduces the size of the Committee by one-half. A maximum of two Committee people can be former legislators. The filing of complaints within 90 days of an election is prohibited, as well. While this is not legislation that will completely reform New Jersey politics, it is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, several other bills that would have further reformed New Jersey politics were shelved by the Democratic majority in the Legislature at the end of last week.

For too long, legislators serving on the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards have neutered the Committee to protect their own. The Committee rarely met and when it did, it gave, at best, a slap on the wrist to the most egregious of ethical offenders.Could anything else be expected when foxes are guarding the proverbial henhouse?

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Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence, New Jersey. He currently serves as the Editor of The Alternative Press Contact Mike at mike@shaptalk.com