Commissioner Suggests Banning All Lobbyist Gifts

Friday, August 10th 2007, 2:23 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A veteran member of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Friday suggested it may be time to consider banning all gifts by lobbyists to legislators and other state officials.

"Why should any elected or appointed official in state government feel that he or she is entitled to an outright gift, a freebie, just to provide face time to a lobbyist?" Commissioner John Raley asked in a statement read at the meeting.

Raley, a five-year member of the ethics panel from Ponca City, referred to lobbyist complaints about a new rule preventing the "stacking" of expenditures in counting toward a $300 maximum on gift-giving to individual lawmakers.

The commissioner said the rule is needed to prevent entities "with deep pockets" from circumventing the $300 maximum by allowing each lobbyist they hire to "max out on his or her allowable amount."

He said it is a "no brainer" that lobbyists in a computer age should be able to keep track of their expenditures, while acknowledging "there remains some complexity in the rule."

Then Raley said it was perhaps time to revisit the idea of banning all gifts to lawmakers, a proposal debated years ago when the limits on expenditures were adopted.

"It would certainly save a lot of record-keeping and heartburn to simply adopt a rule prohibiting receipt of all things of value," he said. "In fact, this rule has recently been adopted in the halls of Congress.

"There are compelling arguments to support this view. It has been reported in the media that the Oklahoma Legislature is one of the highest paid in the region. Frankly, it continues to escape this country lawyer why the
gift-giving and receipt of sports or concert tickets, high dollar dinners, jewelry or junkets in any way enhances good government. And I am beginning to suspect that the voting public is becoming weary of reading of these expenses."

Raley went on to say he believes the vast majority of elected officials and registered lobbyists are honorable, but he is puzzled why a gift should be involved in gaining access to lawmakers.

"There are many other legitimate and certainly less controversial means of developing a personal relationship. Mutual trust and respect come to mind," he said.

After the meeting, Raley said "Mr. and Mrs. Voter" are an integral part of the government process and also should have access to public officials.

The Ethics Commission is scheduled to hear public comment on the stacking rule during its Oct. 12 meeting.