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This page last updated: Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005, 6:20 PM EST
February 5, 2005
Letter to the Editor:
Delegate Explains Why She Voted Against Ethics Bill
by Cindy Frich
(R-44th District, House of Delegates)
1248 Baker's Ridge Road
Morgantown, WV 26505
(304) 599-1309
Dear Editor: It isn't easy to cast a vote against ethics
legislation, especially if you were one of the folks
calling for ethics reform. I voted against an ethics
bill which turned the clock backward to the point of
squelching your right to free speech.
The Senate amended the ethics bill to the point that
public officials will be protected at the expense of
the citizens of West Virginia. When Governor Joe Manchin
signs this new law, if a citizen makes a complaint
towards a public official who was conducting unethical
behavior, that citizen can not speak about the
complaint to anyone or he/she can be sanctioned,
fined, and/or the ethics complaint can be dismissed.
Under this ethics law, if you file a complaint
against an unethical public servant and speak to your
friends or spouse about it, your ethics complaint can
be dismissed. It appears possible in this bill that
if someone who did not file the complaint talks about
it or if the press reports it, they can go to jail and
the ethics complaint can be dismissed.
There was an attempt made by the Minority Leader of
the House of Delegates to amend this new language out
of the legislation. Although he had the right to do
so, the Speaker of the House ruled against the
attempt.
I believe that the voters send us to Charleston to
protect their interests, not to protect ourselves or
other public officials from public scrutiny or
criticism. Democratic societies can only remain FREE
when their citizens are allowed to criticize their
government. FREE SPEECH is necessary in order for our
government to remain open and free.
In order to protect your First Amendment right to
freedom of speech, and to honor my sworn oath of
office to defend the Constitution, I voted against the
governor's ethics legislation, Senate Bill 1003. I
have requested a veto from the governor, who also
swore an oath of office to uphold the Constitution.
Sincerely,
Cindy Frich
