Ethics panel may ask lawmakers to close political reporting loophole

- Christina's Blog

Ethics panel may ask lawmakers to close political reporting loophole

Posted: Updated:

By John Lyon, Arkansas News Bureau - email

LITTLE ROCK (Arkansas News Bureau) - The state Ethics Commission said Friday it may ask legislators to close a loophole in state political reporting laws that allowed a ballot question committee to hire a firm last year to promote a tax increase without disclosing the firm's expenditures.

The commission also dismissed a complaint that the vice mayor of Fort Smith bullied a former member of that city's Animal Services Advisory Board.

The Committee for Little Rock's Future, which was formed to promote increasing the city's sales tax from one-half percent to 1.5 percent, reported to the state Ethics Commission that it spent $196,253 to hire the Markham Group to run its successful 2011 campaign for the tax. No report was filed detailing how the Markham Group spent the money.

Click here for more on this story from the Arkansas News Bureau.

PoliticalMore>>
GOP's Walker touts state ties during trip to Iowa
GOP's Walker touts state ties during trip to Iowa
Wisconsin's Republican governor, Scott Walker, is introducing himself to Iowa Republicans as would-be presidential candidates often do - as one of their own.More >>
Scott Walker tried to introduce himself to Iowa Republicans Thursday as so many would-be presidential candidates often do - one of their own.More >>
Rep. Jo Bonner resigning to take Ala. college post
Rep. Jo Bonner resigning to take Ala. college post
U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner says he is resigning from Congress effective in August to take a post with the University of Alabama system.More >>
U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner announced Thursday that he is resigning from Congress effective in August to take a post with the University of Alabama system.More >>
Weiner gets started stumping in NYC mayoral race
Weiner gets started stumping in NYC mayoral race
However Anthony Weiner does when the polls close, he's certain to add drama to the most competitive New York City mayor's race in more than a decade.More >>
Anthony Weiner set out to reintroduce himself to voters Thursday as he embarked on a mayoral bid after leaving Congress in a sexting scandal. He found a much more supportive reception in his first day of campaigning than he...More >>
Milestones for Guantanamo Bay detention center
Milestones for Guantanamo Bay detention center
By The Associated Press President Barack Obama is expected to reaffirm his 2008 campaign promise to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, where terror suspects have been held since 2002, and...More >>
By The Associated Press President Barack Obama on Thursday reaffirmed his 2008 campaign promise to close the military-run prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where terror suspects have been held since 2002,...More >>
Maine governor moves out of office over TV dispute
Maine governor moves out of office over TV dispute
Maine's governor, who has gained attention in the past for telling the NAACP to "kiss my butt" and comparing the Internal Revenue Service to the Gestapo, has moved out of his office at the State House and says...More >>
Maine's governor, who has gained attention in the past for telling the NAACP to "kiss my butt" and comparing the Internal Revenue Service to the Gestapo, has moved out of his office at the State House and says he'll...More >>
Obama to tour Jersey Shore with Gov. Christie
Obama to tour Jersey Shore with Gov. Christie
President Barack Obama plans to give the Jersey Shore a boost with a post-Memorial Day visit to showcase recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.More >>
President Barack Obama plans to give the Jersey Shore a boost with a post-Memorial Day visit to showcase recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.More >>
NY senator: Assaults let military culture continue
NY senator: Assaults let military culture continue
A senator says repeated sexual assaults in the military allow a culture to continue.More >>
Charges that an Army sergeant secretly photographed and videotaped women at West Point are part of a military-wide pattern of sexual misconduct, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Thursday.More >>
Nixon library hosts reunion for Vietnam POWs
Nixon library hosts reunion for Vietnam POWs
Two hundred American former prisoners of war who were taken captive during the Vietnam War are arriving in Southern California to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their release.More >>
U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Doug Burns was on a night reconnaissance mission searching for enemy trucks when he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and taken prisoner during the Vietnam War.More >>
Obama sees narrower terror threat, defends drones
Obama sees narrower terror threat, defends drones
Amid lingering concerns about his national security policies, President Barack Obama is outlining measures to clarify the deadly use of drones against terror suspects.More >>
President Barack Obama sought Thursday to advance the U.S. beyond the unrelenting war effort of the past dozen years, defining a narrower terror threat from smaller networks and homegrown extremists rather than the grandiose...More >>
IRS replaces official in tea party controversy
IRS replaces official in tea party controversy
Three days of congressional hearings about the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative political groups have lawmakers looking for ways to widen an investigation that has so far been largely...More >>
Moving quickly to stem a raging controversy, the new acting head of the Internal Revenue Service started cleaning house Thursday by replacing the supervisor who oversaw agents involved in targeting tea party groups.More >>

Ethics panel may ask lawmakers to close political reporting loop - KATV - Breaking News, Weather and Razorback Sports

Ethics panel may ask lawmakers to close political reporting loophole

PoliticalMore>>