Can we get an ethic’s check in the Oklahoma House? • Oklahoma Voice

A Wisconsin nonprofit that has spent many-an-hour lambasting Oklahoma leaders and schools for blurring the lines between church and state has hired a new regional government affairs manager from  – get this – the ranks of our own legislators.

Rep. Mickey Dollens appears to be a perfect fit for the gig, except for one little detail: the Oklahoma City Democrat plans to continue serving in the Legislature. He thinks it’s fine to advocate for the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s policy priorities while continuing to vote on legislation related to the group’s mission. 

He’ll be tasked with advocating in other states to stop legislative initiatives that attempt to expand Christian nationalism – a noble cause. 

Dollens, who was first elected to the Legislature in 2016, insists that he’s “in no way a lobbyist.” 

I’m guessing that’s because he’s aware of a pesky state ethics rule that prohibits state officers and employees from “engaging in legislative or executive lobbying.”

At first glance, lobbying seems to be exactly what he’ll be doing. Merriam-Webster defines a lobbyist as someone who “conducts activities aimed at influencing or swaying public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation.”

Regardless, this new alliance appears to raise really thorny ethical issues along with a troubling question about who is monitoring the side jobs our elected lawmakers accept and who gets to decide which pose clear conflicts of interest.

Because other than legislators being required to self-disclose potential financial conflicts of interest, it feels a lot like nobody is watching the hen house.

Ours is a part-time Legislature, meeting full-time February through May, so it’s not uncommon for lawmakers to hold outside jobs to supplement their annual base salary of $47,500, which is set biannually by a legislative oversight board. House and Senate leaders earn extra and legislators are also entitled to an extra $174-per-day during session to help cover the cost of accommodations and travel.  

We currently have legislators who own small businesses, work as farmers, pastors, attorneys, former teachers and insurance agents, according to the state senators’ bios, which generally contain posted, though often vague “occupation” listings to help the public understand what careers senators are pursuing outside of session. 

Voters, though, typically have no idea what jobs House members do  — unless they voluntarily disclose them or they run afoul of the law.

The state House appears to be so lax that they leave it up to legislators to police themselves and make judgment calls on whether a job or a vote is a conflict of interest.

Pardon me if I feel like that’s a flawed strategy following the unfortunate incident involving former Republican House Majority Whip Terry O’Donnell who faced criminal charges related to allegations that he misused his post to change state law to benefit his family to allow his wife to become a tag agent.

While Gentner Drummond ultimately dismissed those charges, he made it clear it wasn’t because he thought O’Donnell was necessarily blameless, but because he believed the Catoosa Republican was unfairly “targeted.” Drummond wrote at the time that a constitutional ban on lawmakers having an interest in state contracts “has not been aggressively or equally enforced.” He warned that the law will be enforced in the future. (In response to the dismissal, O’Donnell then attempted to change ethics rules to allow candidates to use campaign funds to cover attorney costs for “successful defense of an investigation or prosecution.”)

While the Ethics Commission says it’s within Dollens’ right to take a second job, officials with the watchdog point out that lawmakers are governed by a series of rules, including a lobbying prohibition, impartiality requirements, and from using their position for private gain or the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise.

Some lawmakers take those rules seriously.

Former Republican Sen. John Michael Montgomery resigned from the Legislature in 2023 to serve as the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce president.

Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, will resign her seat effective Jan. 28 to work as a director of tribal policy and partnership for newly elected Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols. Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso, also resigned recently to serve as a deputy Tulsa County commissioner.

Even Gov. Kevin Stitt has reportedly stepped away from his mortgage business during his gubernatorial term.

It’s not unusual to see lawmakers take lobbying jobs or agree to head various advocacy groups when they depart the Legislature. But to have a seated lawmaker accept a government advocacy job is outside the norm.

Dollens has been an advocate for educators and lower-income Oklahomans and been transparent with the media, including announcing that he took this role. We probably wouldn’t even know about the new gig if he hadn’t been.

It would be a loss to his constituents to see him leave the Legislature to pursue another opportunity. But if he wants to work for a nonprofit advocacy organization like the Freedom From Religion Foundation that’s probably what should happen.

And any other lawmakers that have jobs that potentially blur the lines should think about doing the same.

We can’t ignore the fact that the group is actively involved in litigation attempting to block state Superintendent Ryan Walters’ mandate to put Bibles in schools and to stop the creation of the first publicly funded religious charter school in our state. And I’m certain the group will actively lobby to block proposed legislation that seeks to post the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, and restore a Capitol granite monolith honoring those directives and any other ridiculous legislation that blurs the line between church and state.

There should be a divide between church and state. 

But there should also be a divide between advocacy work and serving in the Legislature. 

And there should be full transparency about what outside jobs our legislators are holding so voters can make their own judgment call on whether there’s a conflict of interest.