23 October 2008 FROM: Jeffrey L. Novak, Chairman, Coalition for Ethics and Accountability in Government TO: The Honorable Jon Huntsman, Governor The Honorable John Valentine, President of the Senate The Honorable Curtis Bramble, Chair, Ethics Committee The Honorable Mike Dmitrich, Co Chair Ethics Committee The Honorable Todd Kiser, House Ethics Committee The Honorable LaWanna Shurtliff, Co Chair, House Ethics Committee SUBJ: Formation of a State Ethics Commission Greetings, As the Chairman of the State's only citizen organization dedicated to Ethics and Accountability in Government it is my moral duty and ethical obligation to impress upon you a sense of urgency surrounding the vital need for the formation of an Ethics Commission in the State of Utah. Forty other states have demonstrated the capability to create and operate a commission with positive impacts on state, county and municipal level elected officials as well as the general public. Concerns that a "flood" of trivial complaints would prevent the commission from achieving objectives and goals are unfounded. I have studied all forty states organizations and laws, researched their web sites and qualifications for participation on the commissions and present a logical plan for the formation of a commission in Utah in the attached proposal. It is time. One argument provided against the formation of a commission was that there had been 4 complaints in 22 years. However, if a vehicle is flawed to the point that it will not get you close to your destination, it will not be used. The current ethics process is one such vehicle. I propose the formation of a State Ethics Commission that oversees state, county and municipal officials, provides training and education and, most importantly, is a separate entity from the legislature. Very Respectfully, Jeffrey L. Novak, Major, USAF (ret) Chairman ATT: Ethics Commission Proposal