Earlier editions of The Turner Report Friday and today listed the 20 representatives who received the most gifts from lobbyists during the 2005 General Assembly session, led by Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, with $2,364.80.
The gifts he received were examined during a posting earlier today. Now it's time to examine the records of the rest of the top 20. You might find some clear connections with the type of legislation that was passed during the recently-completed session.
No. 2- Shannon Cooper, R-Clinton, $2,266.81- During a three-day period, March 15-17, Cooper received more than $800 worth of gifts from lobbyists. On March 15, he received $600 described as "entertainment" from Allen James Snider, lobbyist for the University of Missouri, and $13.20 in "meals, food and beverage from Sarah Topp, lobbyist for Ameristar Casinos.Two days later, three lobbyists, all representing Ameristar, William Gamble, Jorgen Schleiman and Betsy Morgan, each gave him $79.41 worth of gifts. Gamble and Schleiman's gifts were listed as "travel" while Ms. Morgan's was "meals, food and beverage." Cooper also received $138.89 in gifts, $87.50 for entertainment, and $51.39 for meals, food and beverage from James E. Farrell, lobbyist for the city of St. Louis.
No. 3- Connie Johnson, D-St. Louis, $2,047.24- Ms. Johnson got the first week of the session off to a rousing start, with $575 in meals, food and beverage from William Gamble of Ameristar on Jan. 7, $131.78 in meals from Samuel Licklider, lobbyist for Empire District Electric Company on Jan. 8, $118.50 in meals from John Bardgett, representing the Missouri Association of Rehabilitation Facilities on Jan. 10, then $101.58, including $54 for a meal and $47.58 for another meal from Richard Wiles, Missouri Soft Drink Association on Jan. 12. Other big-ticket items for Ms. Johnson include $147.60, meals, food and beverage, Anheuser-Busch; $106.23, meals, Cheryl Dozier, Alliance for School Choice; $100, Sara Schuett, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys; $275, meals, Catherine Barrie, Missouri Bar; $103.25, Rodney Gray, City of Branson and insurance interests. Ms. Johnson's meals were taken care of for three straight days, March 18, 19, and 20, by former State Representative Jerry Burch, lobbyist for the Missouri Hospital Association and Southwest Missouri State University, with each meal listed at $95.56. Fine eating if you can get it.
No. 4- Wes Wagner, D-DeSoto, $1,908.78- Wagner accepted $235.86 in meals from James R. Moody, lobbyist for Holcim, Inc., on Jan. 10, and $500 in entertainment from Rodney D. Forth of Anheuser-Busch on April 1.
No. 5- Richard Byrd, R-Kirkwood, $1,686.24- Byrd, recognized as the driving force behind tort reform, died of a heart attack May 13. On March 23, Byrd received $480, broken into four $120 installments for travel from Ameristar Casino lobbyists William Gamble, Jorgen Schleiman, Betsy Morgan, and Sarah Topp. On April 2, Byrd received $357.40 in gifts, including $170 for entertainment and $187.40 for meals from John Sondag of Southwestern Bell. The next day, it was $120 in meals from Mel Nicholson, SSM Healthcare.
No. 6- Mark Wright, R-Springfield, $1,682.68- The lobbyists' gifts didn't end when the legislative session ended for Wright, who received $240 in entertainment from John Bardgett, Missouri Association of Rehabilitation Facilities on May 24. He also received $261.90 described as "gift" from Chip Mason, lobbyist for the Herschend family and their Silver Dollar City business on March 26 and $152.80 for meals from Mary Strate, Missouri Beer Wholesalers.
No. 7- Bob Behnen, R-Kirksville, $1,669.85- Meet Bob Behnen, the hungriest man in Jefferson City. On Jan. 10, Behnen received meals from the following lobbyists: Kent Gaines, Monsanto, $200; William Gamble, Ameristar Casinos, $200; David Winton, Family Resource Center, $100; Brad Thielemier, Missouri State Troopers Association, $68.20; and Ralph Cupelli, Truman State University, $65. If you haven't been counting, that's $633.20.
No. 8- Thomas George, D-Florissant, $1,425.97- The unions kept Rep. George happy. He received $139.32 in meals on Jan. 5, and $105.17 in meals three days later from Herb Johnson of AFL-CIO. He also received $73.73 in entertainment from John Britton, Anheuser-Busch on Jan. 21, and $212.29 in meals, food and beverage from Mary Strate, Missouri Beer Wholesalers Jan. 27.
No. 9- Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, $1,361.51- Close to half of Stevenson's total, $635 came from Stephen M. Murrell, Missouri Bar, for "printing and publication." Stevenson also received $186.08 in meals from Mark J. Rhoads, Herzog and Rhoads, Jan. 10, and $186.08 in meals from from Kathryn Ann Harness, St. Luke's Health System on the same day. He received a third meal, a little cheaper, $44 from Kyna Iman, Missouri Southern State University, on the same day.
No. 10- Fred Kratky, D-St. Louis, $1,324.53- Empire District Electric's lobbyist, Samuel Licklider, paid a total of $502.61 for three "meals, food and beverage" for Kratky. Mary Strate supplied $231. 84 worth of meals, food and most likely beverage, for the Missouri Beer Wholesalers.
No. 11- Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, $1,318.89- The House Speaker, who receives profuse praise from Joplin Globe Editor Edgar Simpson in the Sunday, June 12, edition, appears to have made a couple of gambling excursions courtesy of William A. Gamble of Ameristar Casinos. Ethics Commission reports show Gamble paying $247 for travel for Jetton on Feb. 5, and an additional $113.98 for travel on Feb. 18. SBC took over the job of entertaining the speaker on March 13 with Marsha Haskell footing the bill for $220 worth of "entertainment." Jetton started out his tort reforming year with $223.59 in meals from Randy Scherr, lobbyist for several health interests on Jan. 25.
No. 12- Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph, $1,217.30- The largest item on Wildberger's plate was $501.65 from John M. Corbett, Missouri State Council of Firefighters for meals, food and beverage on Jan. 28. Herzog and Rhoads lobbyists Datra Herzog and Mark J. Rhoads, each supplied Wildberger with $113.11 in meals, food and beverage May 12.
No. 13- Ron Richard, R-Joplin, $1,202.34- The universities kept Richard supplied with gifts. He received $120 March 6, $120 Jan. 29, and $56 Jan. 4, all for entertainment from Allen James Snider, University of Missouri. Kyna Iman, Missouri Southern State University supplied $100 in meals, food and beverage Jan. 10.
No. 14- Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon, $1,199.69- The health interests paid big bucks to Goodman, with Jerry Burch, representing Missouri Hospital Association providing $156.44 in meals, food and beverage Jan. 10, the same day that Francis Flotron, Missouri Hospital Association, provided an additional $156.44 for the same thing, and Kathryn Ann Harness of Metro St. Louis provided the far cheaper $156.43 in meal, food and beverage.
No. 15- Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, $1,155.12- Hobbs was also a prime recipient of the health interests' largesse, receiving $66.66 for meal, food and beverage from John Bardgett, Missouri Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Jan. 10, the same day he received $200 from Francis Flotron of Missouri Hospital Association for the same purpose.
No. 16- Jim Avery, R-Crestwood, $1,148.95- It was mostly entertainment for Avery, who received $85 for entertainment and $9.370 for meal, food and beverage from John Sondag, SBC, on April 2. Thomas Irwin, St Louis Chamber and Regional Growth Association, paid $84 for entertainment on April 10 and $168 for it on May 8. After the session was over, on May 25, Gene Maggard of SBC paid $125 for entertainment for Avery.
No. 17- Joe Smith, R-St. Charles, $1,147.06- Smith received $200 from Francis Flotron, Missouri Hospital Association, for meal, food and beverage on Jan. 10.
No. 18- Brian Yates, R-Lee's Summit, $1,108.54- More than half of Yates' total, $600 was for entertainment from Allen James Snider of MU on March 10.
No. 19- Mike Sutherland, R-Warrenton, $1,080.49- Sutherland received a $116 "gift" from Chris Liese, former state representative Gary Burton, R-Joplin's lobbying partner. The Ethics Commission report does not specifically list which business Liese was representing, but he and Burton are into everything from insurance to education to casinos.
No. 20- Leonard Hughes, D-Kansas City, $1,045.58- Hughes' big-ticket items included $240.80 for meal from Dawn Heidbreder, Missouri Energy Development Association Jan. 25, and $348.75 in meals, from Patrick Lynn, Lynn Governmental Solutions April 20. Lynn was a top aide to former Governor Bob Holden.
No comments:
Post a Comment