Bob Flanders on Government Reform

Require disclosure for contributions to super PACs

A: Yes. I support disclosure laws to identify contributors to Super PACs.

Let out-of-state attorneys handle state ethics cases

"I would have granted the pro hac vice motion because the moving party, Attorney Small, satisfied the conditions established by our rule for admission, one of which is that the motion should be granted "for good cause shown." Here, the Ethics Commission established good cause by recounting the various problems it had experienced in attempting to retain qualified R.I. attorneys to handle ethics investigations. The problems referenced by the commission in obtaining qualified and non-conflicted local counsel to handle this sensitive investigation were legitimate and established good cause for it to retain a qualified, nonresident attorney."

Disallow legislators from serving on Lottery Commission

Justice Flanders upheld that both Constitutions include "limitations" on the powers of the legislative branch. Flanders upheld that both Constitutions grant the executive--the governor in Rhode Island, the president in Washington--at least some power over how the laws passed by the legislature are executed.

Flanders ruled that, "the people of Rhode Island will likely be plunged into a long dark age of subjugation to unchecked, unbalanced and unlimited governmental powers exercised by controlling members and subparts of the legislature--notwithstanding a State Constitution that was enacted to prevent such a catastrophe from ever occurring."