To Ban or Not to Ban

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Lobbyists spend thousands of dollars a year on gifts to Utah lawmakers. Whether or not those gifts actually affect a lawmaker's vote, some say the perception is bad enough. The latest effort to crack down on such gifts cleared its first hurdle yesterday. KCPW's Julie Rose reports:

 

Free Jazz tickets, fancy dinners and trips to the rodeo would be out-of-the-question under a proposed gift ban at the State Legislature. House Democratic Leader Ralph Becker has lost count of the times he's attempted to pass the ban - and though his proposal got committee approval yesterday, he expects lawmakers to make major changes to it.

Currently lawmakers can accept a gift of any value, but lobbyists must disclose any gift they give worth more than 50-dollars. Becker is proposing a ban on any gift worth more than five bucks. Lawmakers who oppose the move say gifts from lobbyists do not affect their votes and blame the media for painting the Legislature as quote "on the take."

Now that Governor Huntsman has promised to ban all gifts to the executive branch, some lawmakers seem eager to enact their own less-strict ethics reforms. The gift ban now goes to the full House for debate.

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