Disappeared News

Pacific Business News reporter Kristen Consillio reports in today's edition (not yet on their web site) that the interns embedded in legislative offices are about to get an ethics review.

She writes on page 1:

The review comes amid concerns that private companies and interest groups, by offering staff members to assist legislators, can improperly influence the composition of bills and gain inside access to decision makers. ...

"... nobody would be complaining, I assume, if they were students at UH or maybe entry-level people at companies," [Ethics Commission Executive Director Daniel ] Mollway said. "We will look into the matter of whether interns are giving advice that affects their own companies. If they are we will take steps to stop that."

The article also raises a question that I had not thought of. It reports that Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, said:

They're privy to alot of inside information that the general public or community groups just couldn't get access to."

Reference: Ethics Commission letter to all legislators.


So the reform movement is rolling on. Please consider becoming a part of it by signing the petition at Bring Sunshine to Hawaii if you have not already done so. Thanks!