The chairman of the Legislature's Contract Review Committee said an opinion from the executive director of the State Ethics Commission clears a senator to work for a law firm that does business with the state.

The chairman, Republican Sen. Bill Holtzclaw of Madison said the opinion settled the issue of whether Republican Sen. Bryan Taylor of Prattville was in compliance when he joined the law firm of Capell & Howard.

The Huntsville Times reported that the opinion from Executive Director Jim Sum-ner said changes made in the state ethics law in December had very little, if any, impact of state contracting.

The committee had sought the advice last month when Capell & Howard got a $100,000 contract from the state Department of Corrections.

A well-known law firm that helped sue Harrisburg for millions actually gave the city a hand not too long ago. Ballard Spahr, now representing one of Harrisburg's lenders, did work for the Thompson administration just months earlier. That's raising some eyebrows.   

Ballard Spahr, former Gov. Ed Rendell's firm, got thousands from the city. It's now trying to force Harrisburg to pay up on incinerator debt. Some say it's a conflict of interest - that the firm helped the city, and now is helping a bank go after the city.

Harrisburg paid Ballard Spahr more than $13,000 for work performed last year. According to a purchase order, it was a provision of legal services for the new administration. We've not been able to find out exactly what that means, and Ballard Spahr won't comment.

Corky Goldstein doesn't know either - he's currently helping the city with various legal matters.

"Canons of ethics indicate it's not appropriate for a law firm or lawyer or a member of the law firm that represented us to be representing both sides," said Goldstein.

The other side is TD Bank, one of several lenders that financed incinerator upgrades. Harrisburg is on the hook for repayment - $35 million, in this case.

"They might have been privy to information that has assisted them in the lawsuit that they're now bringing, and this is a very major lawsuit," said Goldstein.

A trustee recovering assets for investors in the multibillion-dollar Bernard Madoff (MAY'-dawf) fraud has sued a New York-based investment management company that operated a hedge fund that invested heavily with Madoff.

The lawsuit was filed in December and unsealed on Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. It says Tremont helped funnel more than $4 billion into Madoff's Ponzi scheme through its headquarters in Rye.

Trustee Irving Picard says Tremont managed the second largest group of feeder funds to assist Madoff in his fraud. Picard says Tremont should return more than $2.1 billion it received in transfers from Madoff in return for its 15-year investment.

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Jurors in some Lake County cases won't get free lunches while serving because budget cuts have forced judges to halt a practice of using public money to feed them.

The changes affect Lake Superior Civil Division Courts but not jurors serving in the better-funded Lake Circuit and Lake Criminal Courts.

Chief Superior Court Judge John Pera said he is frustrated and embarrassed by the move to end lunch payments, a change that is the result of 30 percent spending cuts over the last two years. The civil courts already are at a disadvantage with other courts that receive revenue from tax and user fees that aren't shared, The Times in Munster reported.

"We struggled long and hard over every penny in our budget to see where we can cut and still provide the same level of service the public expects," Pera said.

Legislators propose changes in state law to help protect school children from bullying.  Lawmakers held a news conference on Monday to outline House bills sponsored by Rep. Sue Allen, R-Town and Country, and Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield.

Both measures lay out more details to be addressed in schools' bullying polices.  Allen's bill also would create a more specific definition of "cyberbullying" through such means as the Internet and cell phones.

Lampe's legislation also would list various factors such as race, religion and sexual orientation for which bullying would be prohibited.  Efforts to combat school bullying also are backed by the Safe Schools Coalition, which represents about 40 organizations across Missouri.
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