A post-legislative golfing trip to St. George made by leading legislators and lobbyists is apparently becoming a yearly event.

Several legislative leaders, including House Speaker Greg Curtis, and well-known lobbyists traveled to Utah's Dixie 10 days after the 2007 Legislature, which ended on Feb. 28. Various lobbyists and legislators have gone on the trip the past five years now.

Curtis, R-Sandy, said he stayed at his in-laws' house in St. George and so did not accept lobbyists' housing. But the speaker did golf one day and did attend one dinner paid for by lobbyists, who included well-known Capitol Hill insiders from the Tetris Group; Rob Jolley, who carries a number of clients, including Curtis' own law firm; and Howard Headlee from the Utah Bankers Association.

Curtis said perhaps half a dozen legislators were in attendance at various lobbyist functions.

In the past, no legislators' names who attended this event were included in lobbyists' financial disclosure reports, because none of the golfing or dinners cost more than $50 per legislator, per day — the name-listing trigger.

Speaking about the golfing trip, House Minority Leader Ralph Becker said: "This is an example of the kind of thing that needs to be disclosed."

Becker's lobbyist gift ban bill was killed in the House this past session — substituted by a GOP House leader into a disclosure bill.

But House Assistant Majority Whip Brad Dee's substitute bill kept the $50 naming threshold for meals, rounds of golf and other "intangible gifts."

"If we are only going to disclose, and not ban, gifts, then we need to disclose all gifts at a minimum," said Becker, D-Salt Lake, who this year is running for Salt Lake City mayor.

Becker tried to amend Dee's substitute bill to name any legislator who took any gift of more than $5. But his amendment was voted down.

"Ultimately, we are going to have to face the relationship between legislators and lobbyists and ban all gifts," Becker added.

The St. George trip this year was perfectly legal. If the lobbyists spend more than $50 a day on a legislator, the lobbyist has to name the legislator in his financial fillings report. But historically the lobbyists manage their spending on trips like this so no lawmakers' names are reported. The exception is Utah Jazz tickets, where good seats cost more than $50 per ticket and so are reported.

Senate GOP leaders actually killed Dee's substitute bill and ran their own measure that requires that all sporting tickets carry the accepting legislator's name, regardless of cost. That bill passed, with a number of House members grumbling that it didn't go far enough.