Lawmakers: No bill can ensure ethical behavior

Local state lawmakers voice support for ethics reform, but acknowledge no amount of legislation can ensure lawmakers will act ethically.

Still, the leadership of the Missouri General Assembly has focused on ethics reform since the start of the legislative session.

The Missouri House recently sent several ethics measures to the state Senate as lawmakers push to curb ethical lapses seen in recent years.

Republican state Reps. Kathy Swan, Donna Lichtenegger and Holly Rehder voted for ethics reform bills that are in the hands of the Senate. But all three insisted they would prefer to have seen some provisions changed.

State Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, expressed doubt the ethics reform measures will make a meaningful difference in the capitol.

"I don't think you can legislate true ethical behavior," he said.

Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, proposed placing a constitutional amendment before Missouri voters that calls for imposing campaign contribution limits equal to those in effect for federal lawmakers. But the bill has stalled, as House and Senate leaders have been cool to the idea.

Gov. Jay Nixon and other top Democrats have called for limits on campaign contributions. But Senate leaders have said the issue won't be brought up this session.

Swan said campaign-contribution limits would eliminate conflict-of-interest issues that could arise from lawmakers backed by major donors. Swan said preliminary results from a survey of her constituents indicates residents in her district want campaign-contribution limits.

The state has operated without campaign contribution limits since 2008. Swan said voters should be given an opportunity to decide whether to limit campaign donations.

"We are the only state that doesn't have campaign-contribution limits," Swan said.

Opponents of limits often argue it is a free-speech issue where people should be able to donate as much money as they wish to candidates of their choice.

But Swan sees it differently.

"I don't want people to think they have to buy their speech," she said.

Wallingford supports the idea of capping campaign donations. He said that would be a major step forward in ethics reform. But the idea gets a cold shoulder from most lawmakers.

"No one wants to go down that road," he said.

Regardless, Wallingford said he doesn't make decisions based on donations to his campaign.

"My vote is going to go for what is right for the district, not who gave me the most money," he said.

The Missouri House passed measures that would prohibit lawmakers from accepting any gifts from lobbyists and stop legislators, statewide elected officials and gubernatorial appointees from becoming lobbyists immediately by implementing a one-year waiting period.

The House also approved legislation that seeks to prevent gubernatorial appointees to task forces and commissions from subsequently financially benefiting from their public efforts.

Another measure in the hands of the Senate would bar politicians from investing campaign funds in the stock market or other investment schemes.

All four local lawmakers back that measure.

Redher, R-Sikeston, said campaign funds should not be used to "grow your personal wealth."

She said, "I think that has been a problem in the past."

Lichtenegger, R-Jackson, described the measure as "the best bill that passed." She pointed out lawmakers can give their campaign funds to other political candidates' campaigns or donate the money to charity.

Lichtenegger questioned banning lobbyists from even buying a cup of coffee for members.

"I think that what people don't want is somebody out and out buying your vote," she said.

But she said eating a meal paid by a lobbyist should be allowed.

Swan maintained that banning gifts "makes good, common sense."

The local lawmakers questioned the waiting period for those seeking to turn their political careers into lobbyist jobs. They said they would have preferred legislation that would have only prevented lawmakers from resigning their positions in the middle of a term to take jobs as lobbyists.

"People expect lawmakers to complete their term," Wallingford said

The wave of ethics reform proposals comes after two former lawmakers stepped down last year amid accusations of inappropriate behavior toward interns.

But Wallingford said none of the ethics reforms being considered deal with that issue.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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