Advisory Opinion No. 2001-6

Re: Beatrice A. Lanzi

QUESTION PRESENTED

The petitioner, a member of the House of Representatives, a state elected position, requests an advisory opinion as to whether the Code of Ethics bars her from teaching a course as a part-time instructor in the Communications Department at Rhode Island College.

RESPONSE

It is the opinion of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission that the Code of Ethics bars the petitioner, a member of the House of Representatives, a state elected position, from teaching a course as a part-time instructor in the Communications Department at Rhode Island College.

Two revolving door provisions are directly on point as to this advisory opinion request. R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-14-5(n) provides in pertinent part that no state elected official, while holding state office and for a period of one year after leaving state office, may seek or accept employment with any other state agency, other than employment that was held at the time of the official's election. While there are some enumerated exceptions to this prohibition, none of them are applicable here. Also, Rhode Island College is a state college and, therefore, a "state agency" as that term is defined in the Code of Ethics. A related regulatory provison, Commission Regulation 36-14-5007, titled Prohibition on State Employment, also acts as a bar to the proposed employment. That regulation provides that no member of the General Assembly may seek or accept state employment as an employee or consultant, not held at the time of the member's election, both while serving in the General Assembly and for a period of one year after leaving legislative office. Regulation 5007 has no enumerated exceptions.

Code Citations:

36-14-5(n)

36-14-2(8)

36-14-5007

Keywords:

Revolving door

Prospective employment