Voters last fall approved the creation of an ethics committee when they passed Amendment 41, but some lawmakers wonder who would want to serve on it.

Board members won't be compensated, even though the position could end up being full time because so many people are covered by the law, said Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins.

"I don't know if you're going to find five people stupid enough to serve on this," he said.

A bill creating the ethics commission is headed to the full Senate for debate after receiving approval Friday by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Senate Bill 210, by Sens. Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs, and Peter Groff, D-Denver, creates the commission and appropriates $220,000 for the first year to cover its costs.

Amendment 41 bans gifts of more than $50 to elected officials, government employees and their families, and those with government contracts.

Confusion has reigned over who is impacted by measure, which even the amendment's chief backer, former state Board of Education member Jared Polis, admits now was poorly written.

Lawmakers plan to ask the State Supreme Court to clarify some issues for the commission.

Lawmakers still are haggling over a provision in SB 210 dealing with appointing commission members. McElhany, the Senate minority leader, wants to make sure the minority party has a say in making recommendations.

Under Amendment 41, each of the following appoints one member to the commission: the state House, state Senate, governor and chief justice of the Supreme Court. Those four will select a government worker or official as the fifth member.