From Deseret News archives:
No end to lobbyists' gifts?
| Deseret Morning News graphic
(581 KB .pdf file)
|
Meanwhile, a new Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll shows that nearly two-thirds of Utahns want the gift-taking changed, either banned outright or want nearly all gifts identified with the legislator who took them. But legislators have rejected those changes year after year.
Utah's part-time legislators on average accepted $2,400 each in lobbyist gifts, which is about a fifth of their salary for the annual general session, the newspaper analysis found. Some legislators accept few gifts, while others collected several thousand dollars worth.
But who received exactly what and how much is often a mystery. Loopholes in Utah law allow lobbyists not to disclose on whom they spent about 60 percent of their gift money. Also, loopholes could allow many other gifts not to be disclosed at all.
Key findings of the analysis include:
• Even though Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. signed an executive order banning state executives from taking lobbyist gifts, executives still took about $20,000 worth last year. Even Huntsman accepted some. And Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert whose job it is to oversee lobbyists' registration and financial reporting took $179 in gifts.
Recent comments
The Editor of the D-News is a lobbyist. How Fun!
Anonymous | Jan. 15, 2008 at 5:07 p.m.
I wonder if anyone would vote for a replacement legislator who would...
minor machman | Jan. 14, 2008 at 12:07 a.m.
Wait a minute. I didn't see The evil Utah Education Association...
Teacher | Jan. 13, 2008 at 8:49 p.m.
- Christmas shoeboxes for veterans 11:32 a.m.
- Roethlisberger sidelined 11:29 a.m.
- Police to talk to Woods 11:14 a.m.
- Louisville fires coach Kragthorpe 11:06 a.m.
- Houseplants can flourish 11:00 a.m.
- Russia: Bomb caused train crash 10:54 a.m.
- Clothing choices keep kids indoors 10:48 a.m.
- 9 bear cubs headed back to woods 10:41 a.m.
- Wis. police report 4 shot 10:38 a.m.
- Pot amaryllis now for holiday giving 10:34 a.m.
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Predicting the unpredictable: BYU wins
- Efforts to save a life praised
- Rivalry Week is highly profane
- BYU's old uniforms?
- Vegas, Poinsettia bowls or bust
- Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
- Glover gives Utes last-second upset
- Cougars turn back Wildcats'
- Hall's legacy measured today
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
270 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
213 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Letters: Rushing to judge Palin
133 - Boys basketball rankings
130 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
109 - Letters: Trump card for believers
94 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
94 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
86
I wanted to tell them not to go. I dropped subtle hints. "My money is on...
When I was a kid, I worshipped my grandpa. He was undoubtedly my hero....
I think BYU will win this game by at least a touchdown.
A person died while hiking the Angel's Landing hike in Zion. Shall we close...
@dave 7:57 a.m.: "Show me where public education became a right and I'll...
is Max Hall's Mom. -ManBearPig
People, get a clue about what this family is going through. This is not...
Utah by 43 points!!!
My child dropped out of school in Junior High and she now makes more than...
I couldn't agree more that you have the right to choose a religion or no...
Wow...BYU and UTAH fans alike who are calling OU "Joklahoma" need serious...
That was pretty funny Ernest T. Bass.


