More lobbyists' gifts for Hunter

It didn't take Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, to make his next move at that coveted $3,000 mark in gifts received from lobbyists.
Missouri Ethics Commission documents indicate Hunter received $93.60 in meals, food, and beverage from Sarah Topp on Oct. 28, leaving him only four dollars and 79 cents short of $3,000 with two months of reports left to achieve the mark. His total of $2,995.21 is more than any other Missouri state representative. In addition to that money, as has been noted in this blog, Hunter is also a paid employee of Associated Industries of Missouri, a lobbying organization.
As I noted earlier this week, Hunter has received $1,130.34 cents since the 2005 session ended. A commenter noted that I was conveniently leaving out gifts legislators received during the veto session, as if that is some type of excuse for continuing to gobble up all of the meals the lobbyists offer.
Ethics Commission records show that Hunter received only $44.80 during the time the House returned to session.
If the name of the lobbyist whose gift was the latest reported to the Ethics Commission sounds familiar, that should come as no surprise. Sarah Topp is a lobbyist for the utility giant Ameren and numerous other interest groups, but nearly all of her gifts to Hunter have come in her position as a lobbyist for Ameristar Casinos. Hunter's background with Ameristar was related in previous editions of The Turner Report.