OCG Peaceful demonstration planned for May 13th
Operation Clean Government plans peaceful demonstration to raise awareness of court decision that threatens to kill effective ethics oversight in Rhode Island
At 9:30 am on May 13th, the R.I. Supreme Court will hear the RI Ethics Commission appeal of an October 2008 Superior Court decision that dismissed ethics charges against ex-Senate President William V. Irons. The state’s Ethics Commission found “probable cause” that Irons violated R.I. General Law 36-14-5 when he used his position as head of the Senate Corporations Committee to “kill” pharmacy-choice legislation opposed by the drugstore chain CVS while CVS was paying him hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable health insurance commissions for CVS workers.
When the Ethics Commission moved to prosecute Irons for this conflict of interest, his lawyers filed suit in Superior Court claiming the “speech in debate” clause in the state’s constitution protects him from being “questioned in any other place” by the Ethics Commission for his actions in the legislature. The Superior Court Judge ruled in Irons favor even though the Ethics Commission contended that a 1986 amendment to the state’s constitution nullifies the speech in debate legislative immunity in the area of ethics.
This 1986 amendment says all elected state officials are subject to the state’s code of ethics. It specifically applies to legislators as it gives the Commission the power to remove from office those state officials not subject to impeachment and the only state officials not subject to impeachment are state legislators.
The 1986 ethics amendment to the state’s constitution was drafted by a Constitutional Convention and ratified by voters in Rhode Island who were fed up with political corruption so prevalent at the time. The Superior Court decision reset the clock, taking us back to an era where legislators were free to enact special pension bills favoring their friends, back to an era where legislators blocked bills that would have forced credit unions and banks to be federally insured, and back to an era where political insiders were able to secure low interest home mortgages from RIHMFC even after RIHMFC said it had run out of money.
To let legislators use the speech in debate protections to avoid prosecution when they violate our ethics laws is NOT justice. We as citizens from many organizations will participate in the OCG demonstration for corruption-free government on May 13 at the Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI and also at the Main St. entrance. See the OCG web site at http://ocgri.org for more information on this demonstration. Contact OCG Board Member Al Benson if you are willing to join this demonstration. Mr. Benson’s email address is [email protected].
Free bottled water will be available at the Licht complex for all volunteers from 9 am to 3 pm. Handouts will also be available, explaining why this Supreme Court decision in the Ethic Commission’s appeal is so important to honest government in R.I. This is your chance to do something to make your state a better place to live. Don’t just sit back and complain that R.I. government is corrupt and can’t be changed. It can be changed, but you must make your voice heard. Our state leaders will take notice if you join us to make a statement at this May 13th demonstration. Already, volunteer marchers are signing up for one and two hour stints on this day in May.
OCG officers and speakers from the various organizations supporting this demonstration are scheduled to speak to the volunteers at various times during the demonstration.
This is an issue that cuts across the whole political spectrum. Who doesn’t want honest, responsive and responsible government? Let your voice be heard on the 13th.