MACo Legislative Director Natasha Mehu testified before the House Environment & Transportation Committee to oppose HB 1565 – Public Ethics and Campaign Activity – County Governing Bodies and County Executives – Planning and Zoning Applications.  The bill unnecessarily imposes ethics requirements adopted by only one jurisdiction and extends them to every county, with all forms of county government. 

From the MACo Testimony:

Every county makes land use decisions differently, and accordingly, develop their own ethics laws when they seek to exceed the State’s standards. HB 1565 would unnecessarily repeal those ethics laws in favor of a uniform standard. Many counties have their own ethics commissions that are best suited to respond to ethics concerns within their respective jurisdictions. The State Ethics Commission does not have jurisdiction over local, county, or municipal officials and employees and cannot accept complaints against those individuals.  The State should not intrude upon established local ethics laws and practices.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2020 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.