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House Republicans jam through sham ethics reform bill
Measure has $20,000 campaign contribution cap that doesn’t apply to lawmakers
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Republicans today jammed a sham ethic reform bill through the House of Representatives with little debate. After loading up an unrelated measure, Senate Bill 844, with dozens of provisions – including some astoundingly bad ones – Republicans moved the measure through two committees and to a straight party-line House vote of 88-71 in a matter of hours.
House Democrats have championed meaningful and legitimate ethics reform for several years. A top priority for Democrats has been to reinstate campaign contribution limits, which Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved in 1994 but that Republican lawmakers repealed in 2008. SB 844 would create a nearly meaningless cap of $20,000 per donation for candidates for statewide office, judge or local office but the limit wouldn’t apply to House or Senate candidates, who could still accept unlimited amounts.
“House Republicans have made a mockery of ethics reform,” said House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Independence. “Proposing a $20,000 contribution limit that doesn’t even apply to lawmakers provides the mere pretense of limits, not the meaningful campaign finance reform Missourians want.”
Some of the more onerous provisions of SB 844 would disenfranchise voters, interfere with union elections and require Missouri residents who attempt to contact lawmakers other than their own about legislation to register as lobbyists. The bill would also authorize Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder to pursue – at Missouri taxpayer expense -- a frivolous lawsuit he is launching against the federal government.
“House Republicans have turned what should have been a serious effort to improve government accountability into an exercise in bad government,” said Assistant House Minority Leader J.C. Kuessner, D-Eminence. “It is just stunning that Republicans want to muzzle regular Missourians by forcing them to register as lobbyists if they want to talk to lawmakers.”
House Democrats last week were forced to invoke their constitutional right to move the legitimate ethics reform bill, SB 577, to the House debate calendar after Republican leaders attempted to send the measure back to a committee so it could be gutted of meaningful provisions. House Minority Leader Steve Tilley, R-Perryville, has refused to bring that bill up for debate.
SB 844 originally was titled an act “relating to contracts for purchasing, printing, and services for statewide elected officials.” The title of the House version was changed to an act “relating to ethical administration of public institutions and officials.” The Missouri Constitution prohibits bills from being changed from their original purpose.
“If this bill becomes law, Steve Tilley has set it up for an easy court challenge by his wealthy donors, who oppose laws that would limit their influence over government,” said House Minority Whip Jeff Roorda, D-Barnhart. “From the beginning, House Republicans have maneuvered ethics reform in a way to guarantee failure. Unfortunately for the people of Missouri, they succeeded.”
Since the original Senate bill contained none of the House provisions, a final version of the measure would need to be negotiated and approved by both chambers for it to be sent to the governor.
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