Bill would require state employee truthfulness

OLYMPIA — A proposed law in the state Senate would require state employees to be truthful when providing information.

Lawmakers began considering the bill Tuesday, with Republican Sen. Pam Roach saying that people who do not tell the truth should not be employed by the state. Roach said the measure is modeled after internal ethics rules at the Washington State Patrol.

State workers who lie would be subject to disciplinary under state ethics laws. Nobody testified against the measure during an initial committee hearing Tuesday.

Roach has been the subject of Senate personnel investigations related to complaints that she has verbally attacked staff members in the Legislature. She believes that she’s been unfairly targeted by colleagues who are trying to ruin her.