The Select Committee on Legislative Ethics agreed to hold its next full meeting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and discussed member participation in the Council on Governmental Ethics Law conference during other business.

Chair Joyce led scheduling and said the meeting will be in person and include a full committee session and a senate subcommittee meeting. Senator Stevens and other members discussed calendar conflicts and members’ travel plans; the committee settled on Sept. 23 beginning at 9 a.m.

Administrator Kevin Reeve briefed members on the Council on Governmental Ethics Law (COGEL) conference, describing it as an education forum for ethics officials and noting the program runs with concurrent breakout sessions so attendees can tailor topics. Reeve said he checks the agenda weekly and that, as of the briefing, detailed breakout topics had not been posted. He gave the conference dates as Dec. 7–10 in Atlanta and said there is an early-registration deadline. “August 1 is the first suspense date for the early ... saver special,” Reeve said; he stated the early rate is $600, that rates rise to $700 by Oct. 1 and to $800 at the event, and prefaced those figures by saying he thought them correct.

Reeve also described a change to the lodging reservation process: conference organizers now require registrants to complete registration before lodging booking information is released, a change intended to reserve hotel room blocks for actual attendees. “You have to register for the conference, and then they release to you the lodging information,” Reeve said, and noted the change is intended to reduce the problem of non-attendees booking conference room blocks.

Committee members discussed registration timing, membership coverage for fees, and past difficulties with hotel room blocks. Reeve said he would continue to monitor the conference agenda and notify members as topics are posted so they can decide whether to attend. No formal committee vote on COGEL registration was recorded; members signaled interest and the committee instructed staff to circulate details as they become available.

The committee adjourned at 1:04 p.m.