Since Voters Approved A $5 Cap On Gifts, Lobbyist Spending On Missouri Lawmakers Dropped 94%
Beyoncé tickets. Pricey steak dinners. Royals games.
Lobbyists used to be able to spend thousands in an effort to influence Missouri lawmakers. Voters approved a $5 dollar limit on gifts for lawmakers in November. A KCUR analysis of data released this month by the Missouri Ethics Commission shows there’s been a 94% decrease in spending from the 2019 to 2018 legislative session.
In this year’s session, lobbyists spent less than $17,000 on lawmakers. That’s a significant drop from the about $300,00 spent in the 2018 session.
“These sorts of financial gifts or benefits that have been directed to lawmakers don’t actually buy their votes, but they do buy access,” University of Missouri political science professor Peverill Squire said. “That access is important because lawmakers have to decide how they are going to spend their time and what energy they want to devote to different topics.”
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/voters-approved-5-cap-gifts-lobbyist-spending-missouri-lawmakers-dropped-94
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