If a bill introduced by Austin's Jeanne Poppe had been in place, ethically-beleaguered Republican Steve Sviggum would never have faced the choice of having to pick power as a University Of Minnesota Regent over a $80,000 half-time job.
The Post Bulletin reports in Legislation addresses conflict of interest on board of regents:
An Austin lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prohibit University of Minnesota employees from serving on the board of regents.
DFL Rep. Jeanne Poppe said she introduced the bill because of what happened recently with Steve Sviggum, who worked at the U's Humphrey School of Public Affairs and was elected to the board of regents. An ad hoc regents committee determined that was a conflict of interest for Sviggum, and he will quit his part-time teaching job to stay on the board.
“It really addresses the Steve Sviggum-like situation where you’ve got somebody that has a direct connection to the U. That kind of thing should be eliminated,” Poppe said.
Sviggum still insists that there was nothing wrong with his situation, but picked power over a steady paycheck.
The Poppe bill also asks that Regents be nonpartisan. Co-sponsor Kim Norton of Rochester explains (over Republican objections):
. . .Norton, a co-sponsor of Poppe’s bill, said people shouldn't be involved in party politics or run for office while they're on the board.
“If you are going to be a regent, you need to set that aside and be a regent,” she said.
. . .Poppe said she might consider a bill in the future to prohibit former state lawmakers from immediately serving on the board of regents. The GOP-led Legislature supported appointing former GOP House Speaker Sviggum and former GOP Rep. Laura Brod to the board. Democrats accused Republicans of making the board appointments political.
“I just am concerned that now that we start putting partisan people in and they carry that in with them and they continue doing partisan activities that will damage the integrity of the board of regents,” Poppe said.
Photo: New Regent Laura Brod. No clear conflict of interest, yet, but could someone call the fashion police, please. What grown woman wears an orange jumper? (above). Steve Sviggum, cheerfully non-conflicted (below).
Related posts: Sviggum chooses power above teaching; how will former speaker survive after giving up job?
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She looks like a stage mom for show choir competition. OK, I think I've used my allotment of appearance snarking for the year.
Posted by: Hazel Stone | Apr 07, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Say hi to Mycroft for me, Hazel.
Posted by: Sally Jo Sorensen | Apr 07, 2011 at 12:25 PM