Originally published January 2 2006
Senate reformer attempts to minimize the influence of lobbyists on lawmakers
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Senate President Tom Lee's effort to establish new disclosure requirements on the lobbying corps would cut lawmakers off from gifts of free alcohol and food.
"I think it's a good breakthrough," Lee said of the House version that included the provision banning all gifts to legislators from lobbyists and their clients.
"All things considered, I think it's the right thing to do."
In 2004, lobbyists reported $3.5 million in expenses on lawmakers, including food, drink and entertainment.
House Speaker Allan Bense said the idea for an outright ban came from the problems of trying to set an appropriately low limit.
Lee first pushed his bill during this spring's legislative session but failed when House members allied themselves with lobbyists.
The Senate had banned all food and drink gifts from lobbyists in 1996 using its internal rules.
It quietly undid the ban in 1998 because senators kept complaining to then-President Toni Jennings that House members were able to take free meals but senators were not.
Jeb Bush said Monday he supported Lee's idea, but also supported putting some of the onus on legislators.
"I think lobbying reform needs to focus also on legislator behavior," he said.
It ought to be about the people that have been the beneficiaries of lobbyist largesse as well."
Both chambers also voted to consider a bill that would make it impossible for lawmakers to go on industry junkets and then have the provider record the value of meals, lodging and transportation as an "in-kind" donation to a political party.
Lee's office is investigating a trip that three senators and one House members took this summer to the Toronto headquarters of Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Gulfstream Park in Hallandale and is among four parimutuels that stand to make hundreds of millions of dollars if lawmakers implement slot-machine gambling in Broward County.
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