This time the Republicans in control of the state legislature are going to have to fish or cut bait on ethics reform. If they don’t enact genuine tough ethics laws and rules, they can expect to pay the price at the polls next election.

It is clear from every possible source — news reports, tea parties, blogs — that the people of Georgia are not going to tolerate business as usual in politics. But it was not until the political tsunami of Speaker Glenn Richardson’s self-destruction hit that Republicans in the General Assembly suddenly started looking for their moral compass.

Now there are calls for ethics reform from several candidates for statewide offices and from some ranking Republicans and Democrats as well as some rank and file. There’s even a sort of grassroots move by Republicans to clean the House starting with the leadership — Richardson’s buddies — and making rules to actually benefit the people through open, aboveboard processes instead of the iron-handed rule of one man who holds power behind closed doors, granting or withholding favors, using intimidation and other patently undemocratic devices.

So you might think real ethics reform would be a slam dunk. Don’t count on it. Remember, this is the Georgia General Assembly. And we’re still waiting to hear what Republican leaders say they will do about ethics reform. Then, it’s seeing is believing.