Ethics Commission backs whistleblower protections for complainants and seeks records exemption for staff

The commission voted to advance two priority legislative recommendations for the 2027 session: a statutory whistleblower protection for persons filing ethics complaints and a targeted public‑records exemption for commission staff and, potentially, members. Executive Director Stillman framed the package as a narrowed set of priorities after prior, broader proposals and said staff will socialize the items with legislative sponsors.

"A couple of the items that you seemed to be interested in moving forward with uh was the whistleblower protections for ethics complainants," Stillman told commissioners. Members emphasized balancing transparency and staff safety; one commissioner said an exemption "will encourage public service, protect our staff, protect our investigators." The commission approved the two primary recommendations by voice vote and authorized staff to pursue technical statutory fixes (form filing clarifications, appellate deadlines, training language) as secondary items in legislative outreach.