The D. C. City Council has rejected a proposal to form an emergency ethics task force.
The proposal was defeated by a vote of 12-1. The only vote in support of the proposal came from its sponsor, Councilmember Vincent Orange.
Several councilmembers spoke at Tuesday's meeting about the need to take a deliberate and comprehensive approach to ethics reform that includes input from the public. But Councilmember Jack Evans said that emergency legislation was the wrong way to tackle the issue.
According to News4's Tom Sherwood, Orange was accused of grandstanding by his fellow councilmembers. At one point, Councilmember Muriel Bowser asked, "Can't we stop campaigning for half a second?"
Ethics reform has been a key issue this year, with several members, including Council Chairman Kwame Brown, facing criticism and -- in Brown's case -- a criminal investigation for alleged ethical lapses.
Several bills have been introduced, and Bowser plans to use her government reform committee to come up with a comprehensive proposal, which she plans to introduce by the end of this year.
Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for more updates on this story.
