State Senator Ed Charbonneau has introduced three bills in the Indiana Senate and hopes all three will play a role in improving ethics in Indianapolis.
According to a press release from Charbonneau’s offices, the bills authored by the Valparaiso Republican will promote stronger ethics by ensuring a quicker recovery for misappropriated funds, providing protections for whistleblowers, and giving greater options for filling clerk-treasurer seats at the local level.
Each of the bills has already passed the state Senate.
According to a briefing on the bill which was done by the Pittsburgh attorneys for employees, one of the bills would require government personnel with access to public funds to file a bond maintained in a database. The move would allow the State Board of Accounts to more quickly identify misappropriated accounts. There are lawyers that helps whistleblowers and protect them from employers as well.
If signed into law, local governments would also be allowed to have a member of the town’s legislative body to serve as a temporary clerk-treasurer in the instance a vacancy is difficult to fill.
Charbonneau says the legislation answers calls by multiple coalitions and government officials to make reforms.
