No end to lobbyists' gifts?

The newspaper's analysis shows members of Legislature took at least $250,000 from 149 lobbyists who provided at least some gifts. Nearly all 104 legislators took at least one gift last year.

That means that on average each legislator took about $2,400 in gifts. Considering that each legislator gets paid $12,330 (plus some mileage) for the 45-day general session, on average gifts equal about a fifth of their regular pay.

Receiving the most in identifiable gifts were: Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, $6,777; Senate Minority Whip Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake, $4,614; Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, $4,475; Senate budget chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, $3,069; and House Majority Leader Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, $2,707.

One reason Dmitrich and Davis are so high in 2007 is that they both took an expensive lobbyist-paid-for trip to Florida in October. GeoCare lobbyist David Meehan paid just over $1,700 each for airfare, hotels and meals for the pair to see a private mental health facility in Fort Lauderdale. The trip also included a round of golf in tony Boca Raton. The firm wants a contract to privatize some mental health facilities in Utah. Davis' personal attorney, Phillip Dyer, who is a lobbyist, also gave him a $1,260 discount on legal fees last year.

Analysis showed that for lawmakers, lobbyists spent at least $133,600 on meals; $10,260 alone on Utah Jazz games; $31,700 on other entertainment; nearly $8,900 on travel; about $8,800 on various "gifts"; $7,300 on treats; $4,600 on golf; and $1,100 on trap shooting or hunting trips.

Some of the more interesting single expenses included Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield lobbyist Jennifer Cannaday spending more than $1,300 to take five legislators and family members to a Billy Joel concert.

The Utah Symphony gave $3,100 worth of tickets to lawmakers. Lobbyist Shelly Teuscher gave $25 American Express gift cards to three legislators (she said to show them the company already clearly shows expiration dates and should be exempted from a bill to require that).

Clark and Senate Assistant Majority Whip Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, were guests of AT&T lobbyist Stephanie Tyler Jackson for a one-night celebrity charity event in Las Vegas organized by golfer Tiger Woods. The legislators and their spouses attended a special dinner and a concert by Jon Bon Jovi, and Clark golfed the next day. The Clarks stayed two days, for a total cost of $1,190. The Killpacks spent just one day, at a total cost of $570. AT&T is a corporate sponsor of the charity event, called "Tiger Jam," Clark said.

Dozens of lobbyists spent a combined $30,000 to feed and entertain lawmakers when they attended a National Conference of State Legislatures meeting in Boston in August. When legislators had a spring meeting in St. George last March, lobbyists spent about $4,600 there on meals and golf for them.