Panel debate: mandatory consultation with State Ethics Commission and separation‑of‑powers concerns

The Government Operations committee spent substantial time on the constitutional question of whether legislative panels (and judicial disciplinary bodies) should be required by statute to consult the State Ethics Commission when a complaint touches the State Code of Ethics. Testimony reflected two enduring tensions: (1) whether a statutorily mandated consultation infringes on the legislature’s core, constitutionally assigned functions, and (2) how to balance an independent statewide ethics process with the legislative body’s prerogative to set its own rules and discipline.