Editorial: Rewrite Nevada’s ethics law

Tuesday, July 25, 2000 | 10 a.m.

The 1999 Legislature did the right thing when it added some heft to the state Ethics Commission, adding a full-time lawyer and executive director. The Legislature's work in creating an effective Ethics Commission isn't done, however, and it's becoming increasingly apparent that state lawmakers need to do more. Specifically the Legislature needs to make it clear when public officials should acknowledge potential conflicts of interests on matters involving those who are close friends.

The trouble started last year when District Court Judge Jerome Polaha found that some provisions of the state's ethics laws were unconstitutionally vague. Polaha's ruling overturned an Ethics Commission's decision that found Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates had violated ethics laws when she helped two friends win concession contracts at McCarran International Airport. And while the Ethics Commission last week cleared Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald of violating the law in the City Council's awarding of a contract extension to Republic Silver State (a McDonald nemesis accused the councilman of failing to disclose his friendships with company officials), members of the commission noted their frustration with Polaha's decision.

If the Legislature can't draft an ethics law to determine when public officials should disclose potential conflicts of interest on matters before them, then we might as well junk the Ethics Commission. That money could be better spent on other programs that could do some good instead of on half-way measures that let some public officials off the hook, adding to the public's cynicism.