SALEM, OR -- Oregon lawmakers are trying to come up with ethics bills to prevent scandals like the one that forced Governor John Kitzhaber to resign. Current Governor Kate Brown, Republicans and the Independent Party of Oregon have all offered bills. Representative Knute Buehler (R-Bend) told his fellow lawmakers on the Hosue floor Thursday, we have to do better. "Oregon's fourth estate did, the independent journalists and the media did their job exposing the problem and now we need to do ours and fix them.  Governor Brown and the Independent party of Oregon all have billls, but the Governor's bill will not protect Oregonians from future scandals."

Rep. Buehler supports a House bill that would require public bodies to retain public records for a minimum of three years. He also plans to introduce a bill that will protect whistle blowers who expose criminal or unethical activity in state government.