Indiana House backs new rules after nursing home scandal

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Indiana House has adopted tighter rules on the conduct of lawmakers following an ethics investigation of a top Republican who fought privately to defeat legislation that would have hurt his family’s business.

House members voted 97-0 on Tuesday to approve the revised ethics code.

Major changes in the code include instructions that House members should avoid the appearance of impropriety. It also directs House members to not carry out any public or private advocacy on issues in which they have a personal financial interest.

The tightening follows December’s resignation of former House Speaker Pro Tem Eric Turner after The Associated Press reported he privately lobbied to kill a proposed ban on nursing home construction that could have cost his family’s business millions of dollars.