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Legislator-consultant ban bill advances

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A bill to ban state elected officials and lawmakers from serving as paid political consultants to other elected officials and lawmakers was perfected by the House today.

The bill, HB 1983, sponsored by Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, also bans compensation for activities on behalf of a candidate committee for another individual holding statewide office or who is a member of the General Assembly is also prohibited.

Dogan
Dogan

Dogan told the Committee on Government Accountability that the bill is a necessary conflict of interest provision to help prevent issues from involving the “use of public offices to gain personal wealth that is narrowly drafted to avoid legal challenges.” There was no opposition voiced in committee.

The bill was perfected with little opposition. Discussion focused on an amendment from Rep. Gail McCann-Beatty, D-Kansas City, who wanted to extend the bill’s purview to include the staff of legislators. The amendment, however, was not added to the bill.

To vote for the legislation before 5 p.m., the House approved to move to previous question on the bill with little debate on the actual text of the bill itself.

HB 1983 is among the first four bills, which also all focus on lobbying reform, to make it out of committee and to the floor for perfection this session. Speaker Todd Richardson vowed in his opening day remarks last Wednesday to refer all ethics bills to committee and to make ethics reform a priority this legislative session.

 

FEATURED PHOTO/TIM BOMMEL – MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES