Lexington Herald Leader Editorial: Toughen Rules On Legislative Ethics.

Toughen rules on legislative ethics

State Rep. Keith Hall's too, too cozy relationship with Pike County's Mountain Water District and the private firm, Utility Management Group, that handles the district's business affairs apparently doesn't violate Kentucky's too, too weak legislative ethics rules.

But it should.

Hall, a member of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, earmarks $8.1 million for the district to build water and sewer lines. Hall, the private businessman, then bids on and obtains contracts that have paid one of his companies nearly $3.2 million for installing sewer lines.

So, as outlined by reporter John Cheves, money Hall earmarks in the state budget flows through the district right into his own pocket. How much clearer can a conflict of interest be?

But wait, there's more.

Last spring, during a special session of the General Assembly, Hall lobbied successfully for adding language to a budget bill that would allow people who didn't live in a given water district to serve on its board if they were customers of the district. Turns out, two members of the five-member Mountain Water District board no longer live in the district.

Hall's interest in maintaining the status quo on the board may have stemmed from the fact that the $3.2 million figure included about $1.2 million added to his company's projects, with water district approval, after the initial bids were submitted and the contracts signed. If someone keeps upping the ante for you, wouldn't you want to maintain the status quo?

Or his interest may have stemmed from a desire to keep intact the board that reversed itself after initially voting to cancel UMG's contract after the company's name popped up in connection with the Leonard Lawson-Bill Nighbert bid-rigging case and after the Public Service Commission blistered UMG in an audit of its work.

What interest would Hall have in assuring that UMG keeps this contract? Last year, his son Jordan Hall joined the company as personal assistant to Greg May, the chief operating office.

(Whatever motivated Hall, he was thwarted by the PSC, which last week ruled the two out-of-district board members do not qualify to serve even under the amended language.)

Even if Hall's many ties to the water district and UMG do not violate Kentucky's weak ethics law, they should because, on the smell test, they stink.

Of course, since the ethics law can only be strengthened by lawmakers themselves, which is about as likely as a snowstorm in Kentucky on a hot August day, folks in Pike County better get used to holding their noses.