title:  Missouri Legislators Took 32,138 Free Gifts From Lobbyists
text: A new report from the Missouri Ethics Commission documents 32,128 gifts to state legislators from lobbyists undoubtedly hoping to influence their decisions.The Missouri Ethics Commission collected information on gifts provided to state lawmakers from January 2012 to January of this year. St. Louis Today published a searchable database here. The database includes information on lobbying organizations that provided gifts to state lawmakers, as well as the elected officials who accepted them.Many of the gifts were valued at less than $100. The gifts that fell into this value range most often included things like lunch, dinner, drinks and coffee.State lawmakers also accepted thousands of gifts which were valued between $100 and $2,000. These gifts included things like travel expenses and tickets to concerts and sporting events, among other things.Among the organizations that doled out gifts to Missouri lawmakers were lobbyists representing banks, insurance companies, casinos, the pharmaceutical industry, utility companies and many others.An earlier report from the Ethics Commission, which documented lobbyist gifts provided to lawmakers between 2004 and 2014, showed that, on average, state legislators take nearly $1 million worth of free gifts from registered lobbyists each year.While it might be tempting to dismiss the tens of thousands of gifts which are valued at less than $100, the truth is that these gifts buy lobbyists something ordinary citizens don t have, access to government.When was the last time you bought your state representative a cup of coffee or lunch at Red Lobster? Unless you re a lobbyist, you ve likely never had that kind of access to the people who represent you in government.The Missouri Ethics Commission report comes as Governor Jay Nixon seeks to restrict the ability of lawmakers to accept unlimited gifts from lobbyists.Many Missouri residents would like to see a total ban on lobbyist gifts, but it s unlikely that state lawmakers will approve any legislation that goes that far.During an interview with the Associated Press earlier this month, Nixon said he hopes to see the legislature act, even if they refuse to pass a full ban. When the public demands something for a number of years, a response by those that are in elected office to that   even if it doesn t get the full loaf, if it moves forward   is important. Maybe if the public had the kind of access that lobbyists are getting, Missouri lawmakers would be more willing to take action.Featured image via Pixabay public domain