Some might look at the conflict of interest charges being investigated by Indiana's House Ethics Committee involving House Speaker Pro Tem Eric Turner (R-Cicero) and ask why.
We look at the General Assembly's troubling history of such conflicts and wonder why not?
Why wouldn't a representative think it's OK to privately lobby against a bill that would hurt a company he's invested in -- and that's run by his son? That's what Turner did during the past session with legislation that set a moratorium on new nursing homes; his son's company, which hopes to build a number of new nursing homes in the future, opposed the bill.
As the Indianapolis Star's Matthew Tully said in a recent column, the General Assembly is "one big conflict of interest" and legislators have been defending the status quo for years.
He points to recent examples, including Rep. Bob Morris openly trying to influence legislation affecting health food stores in a committee hearing last year -- all while owning a chain of these stores.
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