Government watchdog groups said rules and procedures proposed by the new state ethics commission allow too much room to dismiss complaints against public officials.

And the County Sheriffs of Colorado fear the rules won't do enough to deter groundless complaints.

The concerns surfaced during a public hearing Monday about the proposed rules for the five- member Independent Ethics Commission.

The commission was formed by Amendment 41, approved by voters in 2006. It bans any lobbyist gifts to elected officials, government workers and their immediate family members.

The volunteer panel wasn't completely formed until March and hasn't yet issued any advisory opinions or taken up any complaints, but recently hired a paid executive director, Jane T. Feldman, who began work July 1.

Two local organizations said the proposed rules don't follow the intent of Amendment 41.

The draft rules "allow the commission to both operate in secret and to dismiss complaints that fall squarely within the scope of their constitutional mandate," said Ethics Watch director Chantell Taylor.

Elena Nunez, program director for Colorado Common Cause, said the grounds for dismissal of complaints "are too broad."

Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said the panel will be deluged with false complaints, especially by inmates, and he wants to see punishment for "serial" complainants.