When lawmakers try to pass a bill, they often will play it coy. It’s not good to be overconfident, but downplaying its chance is also not the norm.

The pitch will rarely sound like this one from Sen. John Thrasher.

“We will get it out of its Rules [Committee] and see how much further we want to go with it,” the St. Augustine Republican said of his wide-ranging ethics bill.

Despite being sponsored by one of the more powerful and high-profile members of the Legislature, the bill escaped its first committee stop by only one vote. It includes a controversial provision that would no longer allow lawmakers to work for or contract with state universities or colleges while they are in the Legislature, or for two years after they leave office. Current lawmakers employed in higher education are exempt unless they run for re-election.

“This bill is deeply flawed,” said state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice. “We would lose the service of a lot of good senators.”

Her comments came during a meeting of the Senate Rules Subcommittee on Ethics and Elections, which passed the bill 7-6. Some “no” votes said they approved of the bill’s other provisions but saw stopping the revolving door between higher education and the Legislature as leading to similar prohibitions for other industries.

“I see the slippery slope,” said state Sen. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale. “We are a citizen legislature.”

During the hearing, opponents pointed to state Sen. Garret Richter, R-Naples, who is president of First National Bank of the Gulf Coast, and chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.

“Would you rather have a furniture salesman chair banking?” Detert said.

The bill’s other provisions would allow lawmakers to put their assets into a blind trust to avoid the appearance of a conflict and require members of Community Redevelopment Authorities to file financial disclosure forms. Both were recommendations made in 2010 by the 19th Statewide Grand Jury. It also includes provisions that allow a lawmaker to amend financial disclosure reforms before being reprimanded.

Thrasher does have a powerful supporter in state Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, who has co-sponsored the bill. The future Senate president says it comes down to removing temptation.

“I really believe it is difficult for members of the Legislature to be fair, objective to balance competing interests when their paycheck comes from those interests,” Gaetz said.

This is not Thrasher’s first time sponsoring an ethics bill. Last year he and Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, crafted one that would, among other things, have barred lawmakers from voting on measures that could financially benefit them.

That bill, which did not pass, was filed three days after Haridopolos tossed an ethics bill filed by state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland. Dockery was happy that some of the provisions from her bill were included in Thrasher’s bill, but was critical that it only included a ban on lawmakers voting — not lobbying.

A companion bill has not been filed in the House, and Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, has said because of redistricting and the state’s $2 billion budget gap his chamber will have “limited bandwidth” this session.

The next committee stop is the Senate Rules Committee, which Thrasher chairs. After that, he is not sure if it will have momentum.

Thrasher said even if the bill does not pass this year, it was about initiating a conversation.

“Sometimes,” he said, “you have to file a controversial bill that might not have legs to start that process.”