Legislators rake in another $16,000 in treats

Lobbyists gave Utah legislators nearly $16,000 worth of gifts during the third quarter, for a total of more than $166,000 so far this year, according to disclosure forms filed Friday.

That averages to nearly $1,600 in gifts for each of Utah's 104 legislators for the year — with freebies ranging from Utah Jazz tickets to gift certificates, golf, expensive meals and travel.

Exactly who receives most of those gifts is a mystery. Lobbyists must name recipients only when they spend more than $50 a day on a specific lawmaker. Many gifts fall just under that limit, or lawmakers sometimes pay for part of the gift to keep it under that threshold. With that, the recipients of nearly 90 percent of the gifts are unknown.

Legislators received 75 percent of their gifts — more than $125,000 worth — during the first quarter, when the Legislature held its annual 45-day general session. In the third quarter that just ended on Sept. 30, they received relatively little — just 10 percent of their year's total.

While gifts in the third quarter were smaller, many were still interesting and included some expensive dinners, sports tickets and many rounds of golf.

For example, lobbyists spent about $3,800 combined to entertain legislators who traveled to the National Conference of State Legislators meetings in New Orleans in July.

Among that spending, lobbyist and former legislator Ty McCartney reported spending $584 to take five legislators (and three of their spouses) to dinner on July 22, including Reps. Phil Riesen, D-Salt Lake; Mark Wheatley, D-Murray; Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay; Sen. Brent Goodfellow, D-West Valley; and Senate Minority Whip Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake.

On the next day, McCartney reported spending another $140 to take Riesen to dinner again.

Also in New Orleans, Novartis Pharmaceuticals lobbyist Barbara Christensen-Bonner spent $81 each to take to dinner Davis, Goodfellow and Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake. Utah League of Credit Unions President Scott Simpson also spent $155 to take Davis and McCoy to dinner.

Also in New Orleans, Comcast lobbyist Steve Proper reported spending $400 on a tour for 20 unnamed legislators and their family members, and spent $155 to take Rep. Todd Kiser, R-Sandy, and his wife to dinner.

Proper also reported spending $216 for a meal in Chicago during meetings of the American Legislative Exchange Council for Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, and Rep. Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, and family members.

AT&T lobbyist L.J. Godfrey reported spending $117 to take House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, and his wife to dinner in Newport, R.I.