Nevada State Senator
Dina Titus

 

 

Dialogue With Dina:
The 12-Step Plan for
a More Ethical Nevada

 

 
     
     
 
 

 




  1. Acknowledge that there is a problem: Nevada's ethics and disclosure laws need strengthening to ensure the public's business is conducted honestly and openly.

  2. Hold public officials to a higher standard by investigating and prosecuting all violations of ethics and disclosure laws, not just those that are considered "willful" violations under current state law.

  3. Create a Political Integrity Unit within the Nevada Office of Attorney General to investigate and prosecute violations of Nevada ethics and disclosure laws, with a staff of investigators and attorneys to enforce compliance with campaign finance, lobbying and conflict of interest laws; the Nevada Ethics Commission would remain as a clearinghouse for ethics complaints and provide officials with guidance on complying with ethics laws; and the Nevada Secretary of State's office would rely on the Political Integrity Unit to investigate and prosecute violations of campaign disclosure laws.

  4. Prohibit contributions from an individual or corporate entity to city council members or county commissioners while a land use, licensing or permit application is pending and for one year after final action is taken on that application. This will eliminate "pay to play" in local government decisions similar to the existing ban on contributions immediately before, during and after state legislative sessions.

  5. Prohibit elected officials or public employees from accepting any gift, regardless of value, from lobbyists or others with any business before state or local governments. Current law allows officials to receive free meals and entertainment, but public officials would be banned from taking anything of value, including meals, concert tickets, golf games or trips, with the exception of charitable dinners in Nevada and ribbon-cuttings.

  6. Candidates can receive no contributions in cash.

  7. Candidates cannot put family members on campaign payrolls.

  8. Require campaign disclosure reports for city, county and state candidates to be filed quarterly in an election year, starting with January 1 covering the preceding year. This will allow the public a fuller and earlier view of contributions made prior to primary elections, compared with the current system that does not require reporting of contributions received after January 1 until two weeks before the August primary election.

  9. Require candidates to detail in their campaign disclosure statements the identities of corporate officers and directors, as well as principals with an ownership interest of at least 10%, of any contributing corporate entity, including for-profit and non-profit corporations, limited liability companies and limited partnerships. These filings also would require that occupations and addresses of individual donors be disclosed, similar to Federal Election Commission requirements.

  10. Require officeholders to more fully disclose on their personal financial disclosure statements their personal assets, including stock ownership; require the Nevada Secretary of State's Web site to improve public access to campaign disclosure and personal financial disclosure reports by installing a system capable of downloading integrated, searchable data related to campaign contribution and expenditure reporting forms.

  11. Prohibit former elected officials from lobbying their former colleagues for two years after leaving office.

  12. Require state legislators to take an unpaid leave of absence from a job in a state or local government while serving in a regular or special legislative session.


For more information on my campaign for Governor, please visit my Web site at www.dinatitus.com or stop by my campaign headquarters at 4225 S. Eastern Avenue, suite 8—just south of Flamingo and across from St. Viator's school. The phone number is 369-0074. Call on me any time.  

 

 
 
 
 

 
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