In her speech in Dayton, The Anchorage Daily News reported:

Palin told the crowd she had signed a major ethics law—an appropriately modest claim, because although she pushed for the ethics changes, the main impetus had come from state legislators, especially minority Democrats.

Forbes noted:

She wanted ethics legislation that would produce cleaner government. She got it, although Democrats deserve much of the credit for the measure that passed.

The bipartisan legislation was in response to several recent scandals that involved Alaskan lawmakers. The Anchorage Daily News reported:

Palin said the law will help re-establish trust between the public and elected officials by improving on existing statutes. The conviction of former Rep. Tom Anderson, an Anchorage Republican, makes the law more necessary than ever, she said.

Ethics reform had been a recurring theme throughout Palin’s election campaign, and she pushed hard for the bill to become a bipartisan effort in the Legislature this session. She said she remains determined to clean up Alaska politics.

State Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, said the law closes several loopholes and includes a ban on outside compensation for official acts. It also bans legislators from accepting campaign contributions as bribes.