|
Orie to Introduce Bill to Tighten Employment
Practices for State Gaming Board
HARRISBURG -- Sen.
Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) said she plans to introduce legislation that would
tighten employment practices within the state Gaming Control Board and set down
stricter ethics guidelines.
Orie said her bill would amend the state gaming law
to implement changes she believes are necessary restore public confidence in the
Board and ensure that employees are required to meet standards of conduct.
She said the gaming law requires the board to
“conduct its activities consistent the practices and procedures of Commonwealth
agencies.” However, based on information from the recent Appropriations
hearings, this may not be occurring.
Her proposed legislation will clarify the employment
practices and procedures which must be consistent with those of state agencies,
including questions to be asked on employment applications, provisions
concerning rejection of job applicants, standards for addressing substance abuse
and unlawful or illegal conduct, and nepotism.
The proposed legislation will also require
pre-employment testing, prohibit the hiring of relatives of Board members, and
require that all background checks be completed before a prospective employee is
added to the payroll.
In the past year, Orie said there have been three
separate incidents involving employees of the gaming board, including most
recently a case when an employee was arrested when a young woman fell to her
death. Newspaper reports have revealed that this employee had a familial
relationship to one of the Board members, and drug paraphernalia was found at
the scene.
“Although the Board adopted a Code of Ethics
recently, it does not address the personnel issues to be covered in the proposed
legislation, and I do not think it goes far enough,” Orie said. “This proposed
legislation will ensure that the Board is operated in a manner that promotes the
public confidence and integrity in the impartiality in its activities. In
addition it will ensure that there is no appearance of corruption or
inappropriate actions.”
|
