It sure appears one of our state representatives doesn't want El Paso County to have an enhanced ethics code for its employees. We think such a code is a must.

But state Rep. Norma Chávez, D-El Paso, has introduced an amendment that may stall it to death, after she'd been using other stall tactics the entire legislative session.

Time is running out on this session of the Legislature. And Chávez, at every turn, has been trying to stall the bill's making it to the House floor for a vote.

Our county has no ethics code with any sort of teeth. And some past employees have pleaded guilty to bribe-taking, among other things. The FBI has raided the offices of County Judge Anthony Cobos and former commissioners Miguel Terán and Luis Sariñana. Several persons with county ties have been identified in court documents as co-conspirators.

Now, at the 11th hour of this legislative session, Chávez wants an amendment -- a seemingly silly amendment -- to the code. It calls for prohibiting the sheriff or any of the department supervisors from assigning a deputy to give a ride to an elected official if the official is drunk.

This came after Chávez had earlier questions about the wording of the bill as first proposed. When wording was rewritten, the bill sat in the Calendars Committee as valuable time was being wasted getting it onto the House floor for a vote.

Chávez, who sits on that committee, finally asked the chairman to release it to the House, but proponents of the bill felt it may have come too late to ever reach a House vote.

When it was learned a last-ditch effort would allow for the Senate version of the bill to be voted on by the House, Chávez introduced her latest stall tactic Monday.

The Senate bill, by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, passed the Senate weeks ago. The stalled House bill was introduced by Chá vez's colleague, state Rep. Marisa Marquez, D-El Paso. Marquez told the El Paso Times: "This makes all of our hard work a joke."

As Marquez pointed out, this amendment doesn't seem to have anything to do with ethics. "... There are too many games being played," Marquez said.

Chávez said, "A citizen doesn't have that special treatment (rides), nor should an elected official."

These moves by Chávez are to the detriment of El Paso. What is she really up to, supposedly on our behalf?