JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The House perfected what many argue is the most important reform of lobbying reform package presented at the beginning of the session.
A bill banning gifts from lobbyists, Rep. Justin Alferman’s HB 2166, took its last step to a final vote in the chamber Tuesday morning.
“I think we have a great opportunity to move ethics and the discussion of ethics forward,” Alferman said.
However, many Democrats argued that the bill, as well as all ethics reform legislation that has been presented by the Republicans, will not have a significant impact on the undue influence of money in politics.
“To declare this is a big victory in ethics reform, I think, is a step way too far,” Rep. Jon Carpenter, D-Gladstone, said. “To declare we have achieved a victory beyond a baby step, just doesn’t feel right. By allowing for the exception that the General Assembly can receive gifts as long as we’re all allowed, that’s $3.3 million in gifts reported to the entire General Assembly. That could be expected to increase because that’s the only option.”
Democrats have also continued to push for campaign contribution limits.
“If anyone came to you with a $500,000 check, you’re gonna owe them something, a little more than if they took you out to dinner,” Carpenter continued, noting he would still vote for the bill.
Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, vehemently disagreed with calls from Democrats that this bill did not go far enough and criticized them for going off topic.
“This is true reform. This gets to the core of one of the problems,” he said. “To say my constituents don’t care that I take things… They do care. There’s gotta be reform. This goes to the heart of that reform. If you don’t want ethics reform, vote red.”
Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, prefiled a similar measure in December. He called out Democrats for not doing more when they had the chance.
“The other party was in the majority for a long time, and they didn’t do anything,” Rowden said. “The folks who speak against it know that it’s terrible politics, but this is good policy. This is the most meaningful thing that we can do.”
Amendments were added from Reps. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, and Gina Mitten, D-St. Louis, that respectively would apply the primary provisions of the bill to local government elected officials as well as those at the statewide level and that lobbyists must provide 72 hours notice of events for the entire assembly.
Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, also had a piece of legislation perfected that would define special executive appointees as public officials, which would make them subject to the state Sunshine Law, and an amendment from Rep. Tracy McCreery, D-St. Louis, would require them to report personal financial disclosures.
“Sometimes these appointees have tremendous authority,” Barnes said. “Without this self-dealing prohibition these same people can turn around and make hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars from a position of public trust to make hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.”
The bill received a near unanimous vote for its passage, with Rep. Mike Colona, D-St. Louis, as the lone holdout.
