HOUSE GIVES FINAL APPROVAL TO ETHICS BILL//MEASURE LIMITS SPENDING BY
LOBBYISTS ON LAWMAKERS
St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) - March 18, 1994
Author: BYLINE: Jack B. Coffman, Staff Writer

With the overwhelming bipartisan approval of the House of
Representatives Thursday, Minnesota legislators have joined their
colleagues in Wisconsin and Iowa in banning most freebies from
lobbyists.

Under legislation approved and sent to the governor for his
signature, there soon will be a ban on gifts by lobbyists to
legislators as well as county and city officials. The only free meals
these public officials will be allowed to accept will be in
connection with programs where they make a speech or answer questions
from organizations.

``This will really change the climate around here,'' said Sen. John
Marty, DFL-Roseville, architect of the move to curb special interest
spending to influence lawmakers.

``Wisconsin has been doing it for 30 years and it works,'' said Marty
in a reference to the neighboring state where lobbyists have long
been barred from buying anything for legislators. Iowa limits
lobbyist spending to $2.99.

House Speaker Irv Anderson said that when the governor signs the
bill, ``there should no longer be any question about legislators and
other officials serving special interests.''

The bill enacted Thursday is the state's first sweeping limitation on
what lobbyists can spend on legislators. Under current law lobbyists
have to identify only lawmakers on whom they spend over $50. But
loopholes in that law mean such detailed reporting almost never is
done.

The ban on lobbyists' gifts and strict limits on free eats comes as a
result of the public saying ``they want the highest possible
standards,'' said House Majority Leader Phil Carruthers, DFL-Brooklyn
Center.

``The public has become suspicious and disgusted with legislative
perks,'' said House Minority Leader Steve Sviggum, IR-Kenyon.

But while Carruthers, Sviggum and other leaders were pressing for
passage of the measure as a result of public pressure, other House
members blamed the whole thing on metropolitan news media, and
several said their constituents weren't concerned about the ethics
issue.

Rep. David Bishop, IR-Rochester, a frequent press critic, said news
media reports about lobbyists picking up the tab for lawmakers' meals
have been overblown. ``What the media is telling the public isn't
real. ... We don't even have time for lunch anymore.''

Rep. Chuck Brown, DFL-Appleton, said he and his constituents are
tired of the ethics issue. ``The folks back home I know aren't
concerned about this issue,'' said Brown.

The bill approved by the House had been passed Monday in the Senate
by a 64-0 margin.

When the legislation takes effect Aug. 1, it will alter greatly the
relationship between legislators and lawmakers that has grown up over
the years with no limits on what special interests can spend and
little impact upon what they must report to the public.

Many legislators, especially veteran office holders, see no problem
with having lobbyists pick up the tab for golf outings, meals or
tickets to concerts or sporting events. That is how business has been
done at the Capitol for many years. Younger legislators, however,
have begun pushing for changes in business as usual with calls for
limits on how much special interests may contribute to campaigns and
how much they can spend on legislator entertainment.

Gov. Arne Carlson's office said Thursday he is expected to sign the
measure into law soon. Carlson, although he had made ethics a major
issue last fall, has not been a force in getting the legislation
passed because legislation promoted by a special task force he named
didn't get its recommendations to the Legislature in time for
consideration.
What the ethics bill would do

The ethics bill passed by the House and Senate would establish:

A ban on gifts by lobbyists to legislators and city and county
officials with the exception of trinkets of ``insignificant value.''

A prohibition against providing free meals except when lawmakers and
local officials attend an organization event at which they make a
speech or answer questions.

Reporting by lobbyists of the recipient's identity and the purpose of
entertainment expenses over $5 for legislators and local officials.
Edition: Metro Final
Section: Main
Page: 1A
Column: Minnesota Legislature '94
Index Terms: LEGISLATURE FINANCE ML94 MINNESOTA ETHICS POLITICS
Record Number: 9403180636
Copyright (c) 1994 St. Paul Pioneer Press