Richard, wife feted by Pfizer

The lobbyist for drug company Pfizer spent $549.46 April 25 for a pleasure-filled trip to St. Louis for future Speaker of the House Ron Richard, R-Joplin and his wife Patty, according to documents posted this morning on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.

Lobbyist David Winton's report shows he spent $147.73 for travel, $65 for food and drinks, and $62 for entertainment for Richard and the same amount for Mrs. Richard.

The Ethics Commission documents show the entertainment was at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, where lower balcony tickets for that evening performance of "Jersey Boys" were available for $65 apiece. The Tony-award winning play is a musical based on the career of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

The meal and drinks, according to the documents, took place at Terrene, which lists itself as having "inspired cuisine." Links to its menu and wine list can be found here.

Richard received $509.72 in April, according to the disclosure report, not including the amount for Mrs. Richard.
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Despite the Pfizer fix, Richard still lagged behind another Joplin-area legislator in the lobbyist gift race. Perennial champion Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, nearing the end of the road thanks to term limits, received $575.40 in gifts in April, topped by $168.82 for meals and drinks from Ross Nichols, lobbyist for Missouri Motor Carriers Association on April 3, and $82 for meals from Gary Marble, president and lobbyist for Hunter's former employer, Associated Industries of Missouri.

Other Joplin-area legislators received less than $200 apiece worth of lobbyists' gifts, including $110.25 for Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, $162.31 from Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, $182.92 for Ed Emery, R-Lamar, and $161.84 for Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City.

Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, did not receive any lobbyists' gifts in April, according to the Ethics Commission documents.