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Missouri Alliance for Freedom wants stronger revolving door ban

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – One of the leading conservative voices in Missouri has renewed calls for strengthening the revolving door ban after a state representative’s resignation last week.

Ryan Johnson, president of the Missouri Alliance for Freedom, said the resignation of Rep. Tony Dugger last week proved that the six-month ban passed by the legislature this year was not enough.

“Tony Dugger’s resignation from the House does not make him a bad person. It does, however, illustrate the need for a more robust fix to the problem that is the revolving door. Rather than a cooling off period, it is time to close the revolving door for good,” Johnson said.

Dugger said he resigned because of the 6-month ban, which takes effect this month. He wanted to leave his options for lobbying open and not have to wait six months after the end of his term.

Johnson renewed the Missouri Alliance for Freedom’s calls for a longer ban. He proposed two years at a minimum. But he also proposed a possible 1-to-1 ratio where an elected office holder would have to wait one year for every year they served in elected office.

“Legislators spoke about closing the revolving door and establishing a six month cooling off period, which was a good first step, but it probably will not materially change the Capitol culture,” he said. “If the legislature wants to demonstrate its continued commitment to the issue, bold action is required.”

The MAF has worried about politicians that resign from office to take lucrative lobbying jobs and said that they should instead be returning to “their livelihoods instead of monetizing their relationships and knowledge of state government.”