Ethics law loser at Capitol

Overall, it was a pretty empty legislative session, as even some legislators admit.

When we spotlighted a few bills in an editorial last month, we supported the increase in the number of state troopers. That one passed both houses of the Legislature, though it certainly wasn’t a very tough call.

But what about the ethics law upgrade that was passed by the House of Delegates during the first week of the session?

House Bill 4016 would require public officials to report more details about their employment and sources of income, as well as information about their spouses.

That bill was bottled up in State Senator Walt Helmick’s Senate Finance Committee for nearly two months and never made it to the Senate floor for a vote.

Business as usual, it seems.