FOSTER CAMPBELL PLEDGES ETHICS REFORM WHEN ELECTED GOVERNOR
- July 5 2007

SHREVEPORT -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Foster Campbell said Thursday he will pressure the Louisiana Legislature to pass significant ethics reform legislation in 2008 when he is elected governor.

Campbell, a Public Service Commissioner and long-time State Senator, said he supports the movement by the LA Ethics 1 coalition and Blueprint Louisiana to require financial disclosure by legislators and other officials.

“It’s past time for Louisiana citizens to know how their elected officials earn their living and to make sure that their decisions are based on the welfare of the state, not on their own financial situation,” Campbell said.

“We have a reputation as a state where people with power corrupt the system to pursue their own goals,” he said.  “Financial disclosure is a good and necessary step in getting rid of that reputation.”

Campbell said that as governor he will propose legislation banning gifts to legislators, providing stronger protection to whistleblowers and increasing access to public records.

“Ethics reform is one of the key building blocks to making Louisiana a more attractive place for new businesses and industries,” he said.

“Stronger ethics requirements, combined with eliminating the income tax, will move Louisiana forward toward being one of the most progressive states in the South,” he said.

Campbell has proposed eliminating the state income tax on both individuals and businesses and replacing the lost income with a new processing fee on foreign oil.