When it comes to wrongdoing on the part of public servants, Rhode Island certainly has no monopoly. Yet for those who call the Ocean State home, it can often feel otherwise.

In very recent memory, we’ve seen Gordon Fox, former speaker of the House of Representatives, disgraced and imprisoned for taking bribes and misusing campaign funds. We’ve seen the fallout from the 38 Studios debacle – in which tens of millions of taxpayer money was recklessly used to back up the now-failed video game company – add new fuel to a deep and distressing sense of anger and cynicism.

The cloud that has lingered over Smith Hill in recent years darkened anew last week with the stunning resignation of Raymond Gallison, who had chaired the House Finance Committee. The Bristol Democrat is reportedly the subject of a law enforcement investigation that is linked, but not limited, to allegations of prostitution.

The days that followed saw new scrutiny for the General Assembly’s legislative grants program, and particularly for funds directed to non-profit organizations with which Gallison has been closely linked. There were also reminders of previous episodes involving Gallison – his settlement with the Board of Elections this year over the misreporting of campaign contributions, and a 2007 Ethics Commission fine over his failure to fully disclose income.

The whole episode is sadly reminiscent of Fox’s sudden fall. It comes at a particularly charged time in Rhode Island – months after passionate debates over a new PawSox stadium and a controversial truck-tolling plan, and ahead of November’s election. It will certainly feed the narrative of intense frustration that has already dominated the current campaign season, from the presidential race down to local legislative contents.

Can that frustration – justifiable though it may be – be channeled into some positive result that betters our state government? We have hope.

House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, who succeeded Fox, has already called for an audit of the legislative grant program. We applaud that step, although we share the belief of good government advocates that the program ought to be restructured and incorporated into the state budget process.

Working on the local level, we see the good these grants can do. The money supports little leagues, senior centers, organizations that improve the lives of those in our communities.

But the program as structured is blatantly political, giving out taxpayer money with little oversight – and on what is ultimately a “who you know” basis. The causes appear mostly worthy, but the process is clearly flawed. We can, and should, do better.

We also applaud the speaker for bringing forth an ethics reform proposal, the details of which were set to be unveiled Tuesday. Two competing proposals have already been submitted for consideration, with the key difference being whether the Ethics Commission would have the full level of oversight it once hence.

We look forward to the speaker’s plan, and hope it provides a roadmap to action – and, in the end, the placement of a meaningful reform bill on Gov. Gina Raimondo’s desk for signature. Given the part-time nature of our legislature – and the frequent overlap in interests, roles, and connections found in the union’s smallest state – there should be a robust oversight mechanism for those who control the public purse strings.

John Marion, executive director of Common Cause RI, perfectly expressed the value of a revitalized Ethics Commission while speaking recently with Ed Fitzpatrick of the Providence Journal. He noted that Gallison had been elevated to the finance chairmanship despite his past campaign finance and income reporting issues – and despite whatever alleged activity lies at the heart of the current probe.

“If we ignore the canary in the coalmine, ultimately the mine collapses from much more serious offenses,” Marion said.

The mine may not be collapsing, but the public’s trust in government has suffered significant blows of late. We urge our leaders to take on the task of rebuilding it.