It's Christmas all year for gift-loving legislators

Guess who pays for this "state night dinner"? Yep. Local lobbyists. And dozens of them go to NCSL just to be present at that event. But why are lobbyists paying for a conference dinner in the first place? If NCSL is important enough for the state to pay travel, hotel and registration fees for Utah lawmakers, why doesn't the state pay for the "state night dinner" as well?

• Utah legislators traditionally are advocates for the public colleges and universities in their areas. But the local college bosses take their local legislators to many university-sponsored events, including sporting games and dinners. The student/athletes on the field or court are banned from taking such perks by collegiate rules. But not our legislators.

I repeat an example I've used before. Let's say that a legislator was sued in his private business by a disgruntled competitor and shows up for the first day of the civil trial and jury selection. At lunch time, after the jury has been picked, the judge says there will be a two-hour break.

Up jumps the plaintiff's attorney and says: "I just want to remind you that there is a bus outside to take the jury and judge to the New Yorker club, where we will have a nice lunch paid for by us. We may or may not talk about this case, but you'll all have a fine time."

The above is regular lobbying business in the Legislature, where lobbyists take legislators to lunch and dinner frequently during the general session.

Of course, in the judicial branch of government both the plaintiff's attorney and the judge would be disbarred, maybe even prosecuted. And each jury member would be kicked off the panel and likely prosecuted as well.

And you can bet your final dollar that the defendant/legislator in this example would file a bill outlawing such underhanded, vile and dirty court practices — if it wasn't already against the law. And that bill would fly through the Legislature with much indignation.

Yet Utah legislators just keep on taking lobbyists gifts — and get their backs up whenever the media reports on them.

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com