Will The GOP Leadership Change Its Tune On Ethics Reform?

In response to yesterday's stories in The Star, it wouldn't be surprising to see some sort of weak "ethics reform" package from the GOP leadership so they can say they've changed some lobbying or campaign finance rules, but not so much that their benefactors, consultants and power brokers will be impeded in any real way. 

It's also possible that they do nothing at all.  Remember that this is what Speaker Ron Richard, the Most Powerful Man in Missouri, said in response to similar demands for reform in April (from The Star, 4/17):

House Speaker Ron Richard, a Joplin Republican, said Thursday he wasn't interested in additional ethics reform. A bill passed last year removing campaign contribution limits achieved all the goals he had set.

"I'm happy with the legislation that we passed," Richard said. "I'm working on health care and taxes. I'm trying to get jobs in Missouri I'm not going (back) to ethics."

And even if ethics were a House priority, it's a non-starter in the Senate, he said. If the Senate isn't interested, why should the House spend time debating it?

"I don't need to make a statement just to butter up the press on ethics when it's not going to make it any farther than this," Richard said. "That just doesn't do me a whole lot of good when I'm trying to do other things."

Hopefully, wiser leaders of both parties are able to come together and push for meaningful reforms.  With the House GOP leadership so hopelessly uninterested and inextricably tied to the offending parties, however, there may be a whole lotta talk, and not much action.