When school groups come to Jefferson City and visit Rep. Bill Lant, R-Pineville, they are treated to soft drinks and pizza, courtesy of the friendly lobbyists who love nothing better than helping a representative show his constituents a good time.
Lant received more lobbyists' gifts than any other Joplin area legislator during May, according to documents posted this morning on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.
Lant's disclosure form showed that he received $481.51 in gifts during the month, including two $30.50 contributions from lobbyist William Gamble, representing the Missouri Beverage Association, both recorded as "non-alcoholic beverages for school groups," which is fortunate since any other kind of beverage would have triggered a full-scale investigation.
Lobbyist Daryl Duwe, representing Prestige Powers, contributed 20 pizzas from Little Caesar's for students from White Rock Junior High School on March 13.
Mary Scruggs, lobbyist for the Missouri Association of Electric Cooperatives chipped in with $86.18 worth of beverages for a school group on March 25, according to the Ethics Commission documents.
The biggest gift Lant received in March was $183.67 for meals, food, and beverage from Elizabeth Dumm, lobbyist for Empire District Electric Company on March 27. The gift is recorded as a "solicitation" meaning the legislator asked the lobbyist for it.
Though it does seem that odd that the others were not listed as solicitations since it seems unlikely that lobbyists just stopped by Lant's office and asked if there were any school groups coming around that needed soft drinks and pizza.
Lant's total of $481.51 in gifts for March was the largest among the local delegation. Tom Flanigan, R-Carthage, received $380.79, led by $250.72 for a meal from Gary Burton, lobbying for Cognoscente.
Mike Kelley, R-Lamar, received $34.77 in gifts, while three Joplin-area legislators, Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, Bill Reiboldt, R-Joplin, and Bill White, R-Joplin, did not accept any gifts.
For the first three months of 2014, Flanigan tops the list at $951.96, followed by Lant at $566.97, Kelley at $158.56, and Davis at $125.63.
Reiboldt and White have not accepted any gifts this year.
On the Senate side, Ron Richard, R-Joplin, accepted $66 in lobbyists' gifts during March and has accepted $578.95 for the first three months.
Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, did not accept any gifts in March and has accepted $111.31 in 2014.
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