Ethics panel's new software could be $1M

By Michael McNutt

Published: May 17, 2008

A campaign-reporting computer program legislators want the state Ethics Commission to use could cost $1 million — nearly seven times what Senate Republicans estimated earlier — to buy and set up, the agency's executive director said Friday.

Marilyn Hughes, who was not involved in discussions with legislators about the computer software, said she was told by a representative of the company that administers the agency's Internet-based campaign reporting system that the software could cost $750,000 and first-year costs to implement it could be another $250,000.

Hughes, who has been trying to get more money to pay for operating expenses and additional staff for the agency, said a new computer system, which went online in July 2006, is not necessary.

Was old system flawed?

Senate Republicans are behind the idea to buy, modify and implement the Federal Election Commission campaign reporting software for the Ethics Commission.

A spokesman for Senate Republicans said Thursday the system was estimated to cost $150,000 after the House of Representatives approved a budget for the Ethics Commission, which includes a $50,000 increase for the FEC software.

The $1 million cost estimates “seem high,” Paul Ziriax, spokesman for Senate Republicans, said Friday.

Senate Republicans sought the new system because “over the years our office has received numerous complaints that the Ethics Commission's current electronic campaign reporting software is seriously flawed and does not properly function,” Ziriax said.

Is it cost effective?

House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, said he was under the impression the $50,000 increase for the Ethics Commission would pay for the new software.

“If we find out it costs $750,000, we have to take a major look at whether that's cost effective at that point to invest that kind of money into a new system,” he said.

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