Simplicity and conciseness are the roots of good legislation. Single-themed bills promote transparency by improving understanding of their intent. Unnecessary complications, often introduced by outside interests (professional lobbyists, etc.) can serve hidden agendas.

A legislator’s priorities should come from constituents in their district/State, not outside interests. Lobbyist influence in legislative development may raise concerns regarding a representative’s honorable service to their constituents. Misguided intent can be obscured by:

Bill Complexity:

• To preserve ethics, each bill’s purpose and contents should be clearly named in its title. For example, a budget bill should not contain changes to voting processes.
• Sources and contributing authors should be named in a document that accompanies all bills.

Inappropriate Influence:

• An entity should not be allowed to contribute to the campaign of a legislator or the promotion of a ballot measure in a district/state where they have no presence or activity.
• The Reform Party encourages monitoring and transparency of political campaign receipts and expenses.
• We support the mission statement of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics – “Public service is a public trust, requiring employees to place loyalty to the Constitution, the laws and ethical principles above private gain.”^[1]

The Reform Party believes that the legislation that governs the people should be understood by the people. For this purpose, bills in every legislative body should focus on a single theme/purpose and contain minimal addenda. We believe a review process should exist in all jurisdictions to evaluate and recommend the removal of laws whose missions are outdated or have been shown to be ineffective. Each governing body should consciously remove laws (and any budget needs) that no longer benefit their constituents.

The Reform Party holds that trust and transparency are critical components of a responsible, representative government. We promote a legislative process that is accessible and understandable by all.

References:
1. U.S. Office of Government Ethics