For some legislators, the lobbyists' gifts dry up when the General Assembly is not in session, but that has not been the case for Rep. Rodney Hubbard.
The St. Louis Democrat, who is seeking to move into the state senate next year, has amassed more than five thousand dollars worth of gifts from lobbyists during the first nine months of 2007, according to Missouri Ethics Commission documents, and more than half of that, $2,745.49, has come since the conclusion of the House's regular session in May.
During the 23-day period between Aug. 31 and Sept. 22, Hubbard collected the following gifts:
-$100 for tickets to a St. Louis Cardinals game and $27 for meals, food, and beverage on Aug 31 from his former Republican colleague Carl Bearden, currently lobbyist for retired billionaire educational voucher supporter Rex Sinquefield.
-$65 for meals from Mel Nicholson, lobbyist for SSM Health Care on Sept. 21
-$266 for tickets to a play from Jay Reichard, lobbyist for the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association.
-$100 for another Cardinals game with $70.78 for meals and drinks, once again from Sinquefield lobbyist Carl Bearden on Sept. 18.
-$100 for theater tickets from Leroy Grant, AT&T, on Sept. 22
That three-week spree is only a small part of the gift-grabbing in which Hubbard has indulged since the legislature closed shop in May.
Ethics Commission documents show that Hubbard has received:
-$495.50 for entertainment tickets and travel from Sam Barbee, Missouri Automobile Dealers Association
-$1,008 in "tickets" on May 19 from Reichard, again representing the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association
-Assorted St. Louis Cardinals tickets and memorabilia, including $38 in tickets and $40 in food and drinks from Nicholson of SSM Health Care on May 22; $44.45 for dinner and baseball tickets from William Gamble, Ameren UE on June 19, the same day on which Hubbard received $88.42 for Cardinals tickets from Tina Shannon, also of Ameren UE, and $11 for a DVD of the Cardinals' 2006 World Series win, provided by Patricia Holden, lobbyist for Bank of America.
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Also, in today's Turner Report:
-Hearing set for Friday in Bowman bank, credit card fraud case
-Government requests three-week delay in Nathan Cooper sentencing
-Missing girl's stepfather admits to possible crime
-Smith, Aull, Schlosser enter not guilty pleas in Isle of Capri case
-Settlement reached in lawsuit against Attorney General Jay Nixon
5 comments:
Big deal...Hubbard knows people and they show their support for him. There is no inductive reasoning to be applied here.
Perhaps Hubbard is merely trying to keep open relations with all lobbyists. If you look at his ethics report, he seems to have general support from the left and right. Rodney Hubbard just seems to be a person that knows a lot of people in Missouri, and this is a good quality for legislature who has such a large and diverse constituency to represent.
Wow - how many constituents are car dealers?
Actually, a lot of Missourians make a living from our car dealerships. Especially in the areas that Hubbard represents. Look to St. Louis and the automobile industries that have factories and huge dealerships.
Hubbard is a fan of sports and entertainment...who cares if he gets tickets and travel paid for.
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