'Clear And Convincing' Isn't
by MARK BALLARD - Advocate (excerpt)

Many mistakes were made during the special session, which was marked by little debate and few “no” votes. Dozens of bills have been filed in the regular session to tweak what was approved in February.

But none of those measures addresses the addition of three little words: clear and convincing.

The words refer to the amount of evidence necessary to decide if politicians have failed to follow the ethics laws. The standard until Aug. 15, when Act 23 goes into effect, is “consideration of reliable, substantial evidence.”