The Joplin Globe will have an article written by Susan Redden in its Tuesday edition detailing how lobbyists are pouring money into local legislators, primarily Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, and Rep. Ron Richard, R-Neosho.
The legislators give the lousiest excuses you have ever seen to justify their acceptance of these gifts and the Globe doesn't do much to hold their feet to the fire. Hopefully, follow-up stories are in the works.
For instance, the Globe allows Hunter off the hook when someone mentions that he probably received all of the lobbyists' gifts this year because of the emphasis on business legislation. That's all fine, but why is it that Hunter accepted even more gifts from lobbyists during 2004? And why is there no exploration of the bills that Hunter sponsored, all of which were prime goals of the lobbying organization, Associated Industries of Missouri, for which he works, a definite conflict of interest?
I hope there is more coming. It doesn't do any good to hit a story like this one time, then just forget about it.
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