Jacksonville ethics commission to discuss state bills that could gut it

New legislation threatens the functionality of local ethics panels around the state, and at least one sees it as a potential existential threat.

The Jacksonville Ethics Commission plans to discuss bills in the House and the Senate (SB 7014/HB 1597) in a special meeting Monday at 4 p.m., amid concerns from Kirby Oberdorfer, the director of Jacksonville’s Office of Ethics, Compliance and Oversight, that the legislation would  make these panels “lap dogs instead of watchdogs” by gutting their ability to launch independent investigations.

The Senate measure has already passed unanimously and is now in messages in the House, where a similar bill is still in the committee process.