Perspective: The need for ethics reform - and its limits

The late Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously noted, "The central conservative truth is that it is culture not politics that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself."

Conservatives, generally, better appreciate the permanence of human nature. As the great Russell Kirk said, we distrust "sophisters, calculators, and economists who would reconstruct society upon abstract designs." We understand that no law ever passed or rule ever created will make the world a perfect place.

Liberals on the other hand, believe laws and rules can "fix" things. By setting a standard, government can set the bar by which actions are judged. Government, in other words, can change that which is considered morally unacceptable - before the larger culture accepts the change. Of course, the opposite is true as well. Government can pass laws that move the culture to cause more people to accept behavior that was previously unacceptable.

These truths conflict in theory, but blend together in reality. Only the most rigid ideologues would completely deny the "central truth" of the opposing ideology.

As the General Assembly convened this week, "ethics reform" was the hottest topic. In his opening-day address, House Speaker Todd Richardson reminded the body, "When you take to this floor, you are not here as an individual. We hold these offices in a public trust. They are not ours. They are the people's." The House, he continued, is bigger than its members, individually and collectively. "It existed for centuries before we were here. And God-willing, it will exist for centuries after we are gone."

For a small minority though entirely too many members, service in the General Assembly ends up being the worst thing that ever happened to them. With many lobbyists and others offering gifts and massaging egos, it is all too easy for a person to lose their sense of perspective and propriety.

It's made worse in our state by the lack of ethics law. By objective measures, we have the worst ethics laws in the entire country. On Thursday, the very first day on which he could refer bills, Speaker Richardson sent every ethics bill filed to the Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability, of which I am the chair.

In turn, I have immediately scheduled hearings for this Monday on seven of the most important bills - the very first day on which the bills could be heard. Departing from normal practice, it is my intent to vote several of them out of committee the very same day, and it is my hope that those will be taken up on the House floor by Wednesday - the first day on which any bill could be taken up under our rules. The rest will be taken up within the next few weeks.

Speaker Richardson understands and agrees with the central conservative truth. "There is no rule or law that can make our imperfect process perfect," he said. However, "we can, and we must, work to improve the culture here in the people's Capitol."

And that goes beyond passing laws or creating new rules. On a personal level, I believe every member should strive to leave public service as a better person than when they entered it. And we must also strive to leave the institutions of government better than they were before we arrived.

I have the benefit of serving in my own community. Unlike others, I get to sleep in my own bed every night. And I also get to enjoy the daily frustration of the shared parenting duties - like coaxing one kid to eat anything green, reminding another to stop leaving her dolls all over the house, and convincing a third that there are only a few places in the house where it's okay to dribble a basketball (on this there might be some parental disagreement). Raising children is a daily exercise in humility. It's also a daily, tangible reminder of the things that are really important in life.

It is a tremendous honor and privilege to continue to serve as your state representative. As in past sessions, I will continue to do my best to represent you in a way that you can respect - even if we disagree on some issues (and, with my willingness to speak and write about so many issues, there must be something on which we disagree). To me, that means being forthright and outspoken in defense of constitutional freedoms, equality under the law, and limited government. It also means never being among those "cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Local reps win polls

Dave Drebes of MoScourt.com conducted his annual best of the legislature poll two weeks ago - and three Mid-Missouri representatives were winners. Rep. Caleb Jones was voted "legislator to call when you need to pass a bill in the House." Rep. Travis Fitzwater was voted "House freshman most likely to be Speaker someday." And I won the vote for "Best on the floor in the House."

State Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, represents Missouri's 60th District.