SALEM (AP) - A budget subcommittee gave the go-ahead to a bill that would strengthen Oregon's clean-government guidelines.

Senate Bill 10 would provide independent funding for the ethics commission that rules on ethics violations and complaints. State agencies, school districts, cities, counties and special districts would pay a fee, effectively taking the commission's funding out of the hands of lawmakers whose cases often come before the panel.

“This takes the fox out of the henhouse,” said Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown, D-Portland.

The legislation also would limit gifts to public officials, require more frequent financial disclosure by officials and lobbyists and make legislators wait before becoming lobbyists.

A separate bill doubles the size of the ethics commission staff, enabling it to conduct more investigations.

“It's what the people asked for when the session started,” said Ron Bersin, executive director of the ethics commission. The bills, he said, “give us all the tools necessary to go forward.”

Legislative leaders promised ethics law changes this year after two commissions recommended stricter ethics laws. In addition, two legislators pleaded guilty to criminal charges, in 2005 and 2006. Then The Oregonian newspaper reported last fall that beer and wine distributors spent more than $18,000 to host seven legislators at a Maui resort in 2002 and 2004.

None of the lawmakers reported the trips to the state ethics commission as required by state law, and they wound up paying fines for ethics law violations.

Citizen watchdog groups were pleased with the progress made Tuesday, but the proposal still needs to get through the House and Senate. Though legislative leaders say they're trying to wrap up the session by June 29, Brown maintains there's enough time to approve the reforms.