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Missouri lawmakers weigh ethics reform bills

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers in both chambers heard more than half a dozen bills today that would make a slew of changes to the states campaign finance and ethics laws as well as change term limit restrictions.

Bills focused on limiting individual contributions to political candidates, as well as placing restrictions on the consulting and lobbying lawmakers can do when they leave office were heard in both chambers of the Missouri legislature today. Missouri has come under fire in recent years as the only state in the nation with unlimited campaign contributions and no limit on gifts from lobbyists.

Rep. Caleb Jones
Rep. Caleb Jones

Secretary of State Jason Kander, a Democrat, announced last month that fellow Kansas City-based Democrat, Rep. Kevin McManus, would file an omnibus ethics reform bill. Several Republicans have also filed various ethics reform package, marking an unusual degree of bipartisanship.

“I think we all agree on the need for this,” Sen. Will Kraus, R-Kansas City, told The Missouri Times. Kraus has filed the largest ethics bill in the senate. “The challenge is going to be finding where people are willing to compromise and agree. Because you can love any bill to death, but unless it gets to the Governor’s desk and gets a signature, you didn’t do anything.”

Despite broad rhetorical support for new restrictions, lawmakers have failed the last few years to send any meaningful reform to Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk. While lawmakers have generally supported a host of reforms, the devil appears to be in the details. Some members take issue with restricting lawmakers from also working as paid political consultants. Other members took issue with restricting contributions.

Sen. Will Kraus
Sen. Will Kraus

Rep. Caleb Jones, R-California, heard several ethics bill in his General Laws committee. Jones is largely supportive of the measures, including the omnibus package sponsored by Rep. Kevin McManus, D-Kansas City. Jones said he supported a large reform bill, but that the legislature should also pass duplicate language in smaller bills.

“My fear is that we pass a bill that does everything we can do in Missouri and then it goes before a judge and gets thrown out over one little piece of it,” Jones said. “I fully support a large reform package. But I also think we need to look at small bites at the apple.”

Jones told reporters after the hearing that he intended to send several ethics bills to the House floor from his committee, including one larger catch-all bill. In the Senate, Kraus said his bill, or another reform package, would have a good chance at passage if senators could negotiate enough compromises with the House before passing “very different” bills.