JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – By a 147-12 vote, the House voted to pass Rep, Justin Alferman’s, R-Hermann, bill to ban lobbyist gifts.
The resounding vote count on HB 2166 follows yesterday’s similar perfection vote on the bill. Those who voted against it came from both parties.
Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, argued that the bill was necessary to restore the trust of a public that saw scandal after scandal reported in the media.
“We have to do something to clean up this perception,” Dogan said. “We have to show people we serve them, that we are not here to serve our own interests or the influence of outside influences.”
Even many of those who testified against bill because of its possible shortcomings began their speeches against the legislation with reiterations they would still vote for the bill.
“This may not be exactly what it’s trumped up to be,” Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, said. He had concerns regarding the bill dealing with lobbyists donating to campaigns. Moon ended up voting no on the legislation.
Rep. Mike Colona, D-St. Louis, made the first speech in opposition of the bill, and feared that banning lobbyist gifts would just cause gifts and expenditures to take different, less open paths. He praised the openness of records kept by the Missouri Ethics Commission so his constituents, and everyone else’s, could see exactly who had given him what.
“The thing that concerns me even more though is that as we move this bill, and other ethics bills forward, we chop off our nose to spite our face,” Colona said. “That transparency, that accountability will somewhere be lost. I’m sure … loopholes have already been identified.
“The goal should be transparency so our constituents can see what we’re doing and who we’re doing it with.”
