OLYMPIA -- Democrats on the House Ways & Means Committee this afternoon voted to eliminate funding for a state ethics watchdog.

The Washington State Executive Ethics Board investigates complaints against public employees accused of misusing state computers and other resources. It also trains state workers on ethics rules.

But in voting to ax the board's $492,000 budget for 2011, some House Democrats said they don't think the panel is particularly busy and could be sacrificed given the state budget crisis.

The ethics panel's money comes out of Attorney General Rob McKenna's budget.

Rep. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, who proposed the cut, said state workers still would be subject to ethics rules and that agency directors should be responsible for enforcing them.

"The rules are known and people are expected to follow the rules," Darneille said.

Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor, suggested de-funding the ethics board would actually improve ethical oversight. Agencies would have to deal with ethics complaints directly, he said, rather than "toss" the problem to the "moribund" panel.

Darneille said she looked at the ethics board's annual reports and was not impressed with the number of investigations it had completed lately.

According to its annual report, the board opened 67 new cases last year and penalized 11 state workers for ethics violations. The most recent action was a $6,500 settlement with a Pierce County College employee, who had viewed and stored "adult content images" on a work computer.

The cut to the ethics panel's budget was made as the Ways & Means Committee slogged through dozens of amendments to the House's proposed 2011 operating budget

Later during the meeting, Darneille pushed through a budget amendment adding $50,000 for the Voight Creek fish hatchery, near Orting.

Republicans questioned the ethics-panel cut. Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, said even if the panel isn't finding widespread ethics problems, eliminating its funding "sends the wrong message" to the public.

I couldn't reach the ethics board's director this afternoon for comment. I also called a McKenna spokesman late this afternoon, but didn't hear back.

However, McKenna spokeswoman Janelle Guthrie told The News-Tribune's Jordan Schrader earlier today the funding cut would halt enforcement of the ethics act passed by the Legislature in 1994.

"We think that's counter to the goals of transparency and accountability in government," Guthrie told Schrader.

It's far from certain the cut will stand as the House and Senate continue working on their budgets. "This is step six in a 15-point process," said Darneille.

Ways & Means Chairwoman Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, suggested the ethics budget could be at least partially restored when the full House votes on the budget.

Side note: the Executive Ethics Board does not investigate state legislators. There is a separate Legislative Ethics Board for that.