Committee introduces measure to bar certain local officials from simultaneously holding offices that receive state funds

Representative Barbara Ehart, R-District 33, presented an RS to the House State Affairs Committee aimed at clarifying conflicts of interest for local officials who serve on certain nonpartisan bodies that directly receive state funds.

Ehart said the draft language would target officials in "nonpartisan" local offices such as mayors, city council members and highway taxing districts when those bodies are direct recipients of state money. "We consider it a conflict of interest that you can't also be an elected official," she told the committee.

Committee members asked for clarifications about scope and exemptions. Representative Mickelson asked whether the measure would apply to members of irrigation districts, cemetery districts, fire districts and similar entities; Ehart replied it would not and that the draft targets "city councils, mayors, and highway districts, those main entities that receive major state funds." She also said the draft includes exemptions for small jurisdictions — citing an exemption for cities with populations below 1,000 and for school districts with fewer than 500 students — and she said county commissioners were already exempt in the language under consideration.

Representative Mike Scott moved to introduce RS32539. The motion passed by voice vote and the RS will be prepared for further consideration.

Ehart said the proposal responds to complaints from communities where officials serve in multiple local roles at once. The RS as introduced clarifies which local offices would be included and which local governments would be exempt; the committee did not adopt final policy or take a final vote on the substance of the prohibition during this meeting.