State Lawmakers Treated To $200 Dinners, Athletic Events

Monday, January 29th 2007, 6:27 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- During the last half of 2006, Oklahoma lawmakers were wined and dined by lobbyists with $200 dinners and expensive football and basketball tickets and golfing fees.

Reports filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission last week detailed thousands of dollars spent on lawmakers and other public officials by registered lobbyists.

They show that tickets to athletic events rival costly dinners and golfing fees in popularity. One expenditure on two lawmakers was literally for a wine tour in California.

One report shows that Oklahoma State University showered more than 80 state House and state Senate members with season tickets to OSU football games valued at $250 each.

Those getting the tickets included new state House Speaker Lance Cargill and former House Speaker Todd Hiett.