A funny thing happened on Missouri's road to regulating and controlling the influence of lobbyists on legislation and public policy -- the number of persons engaged in promoting special causes and interests ballooned to such proportions that regulation has been difficult, if not almost impossible.

Prodded by a number of individuals and organizations worried about the possibility of special interest lobbying and possibly outright corruption of public officials, the General Assembly began tightening restrictions as early as 1990. But it was not until the next year's session that lawmakers really provided the state's first serious effort to identify lobbyists and their clients.

Results of that legislation, and additional rules enacted last year, are just now being felt in the state capital.

With the Missouri Ethics Commission settling in to oversee a myriad of ethics-related activities, including public official and candidate financial statements, the small, hard-working agency staff, located in scattered officers at the rear of a small strip mall in Jefferson City, is hard at work receiving, sorting and registering hundreds of new financial forms filed by the state's registered lobbyists.

These financial reports, due July 15, threaten to engulf the commmission's staff, already working hard to handle earlier financial reports required of this year's political candidates. In addition, the agency is still cataloging lobbyist registration reports that are required at the start of each legislative sessions, with the latest listing published just last month.

From this report, however, it is possible to get an overall, if not an exact, view of the extent of lobbyist activities in Jefferson City. A cursory glance at the commission report also reveals a rapid proliferation of persons seeking to influence public policy and protect corporate and private interests.

The latest lobbyist registration listing, totaling 702 pages, requires at least two hours of steady reading of names and primary clients, a far contrast from the few pages listing lobbying and clients just a few years ago.

Consider that just a year ago, 973 lobbyists signed up under the state's registration rules. Last month's registration list included the names of 2,168 men and women who declared they were lobbying for clients, state agencies, corporations and assorted business, professional and citizens' groups and organizations.

To put this number of perspective, it can be noted that the most recent Jefferson City telephone directory lists only 20 lobbying firms in the Yellow Pages, which represents a minuscule portion of the total.

As a matter of fact, there are now 11 lobbyists for every member of the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. That's more lobbyists than residents in Northwest Missouri's Worth County, and more than four times as many lobbyists as there are banks in the state.

More men and women are now registered as special interest representatives in Jefferson City than are employed in Missouri by the Chrysler Corporation, one of the state's largest industries.

Tighter lobbyist regulations laws that became effective Jan. 1, 1992, called for two principal reports, to be filed regularly by persons qualifying under the job-description statute.

The first is entitled "Lobbyist Registration and Updating Statement," which requires the name, address, telephone, the extent of activities and the so-called "principal" clients of the lobbyist. There is also a portion of the form reserved for a lobbyist to mark that he or she will spend more or less than $50 during the next six months of activity, and also a box to mark if the lobbyist is terminating his work and is no longer required to file a six-month financial report.

The second form that went into effect in 1992 is titled "Lobbyist Semiannual Expenditures Report," and is due every Jan. 15 and July 15. It requires the filer to list specific amounts spent, and to whom, in pursuit of their activities.

While lobbyists often file monthly expense reports with Senate and House clerks, the semiannual report must be filed with the Ethics Commission, where it is processed, inspected and filed.

Although financial reports are only now beginning to stream into the Ethics Commission office, a few early filers have submitted their spending activities, some of which raise more than a few questions. For example, a Kansas City lobbyist who is also an attorney, lists only $17.36 for meals, food and beverages spent on legislators and/or staff for a six-month period, while representing a major corporation, a life insurance company, two groups interested in gambling and one economic development corporation.

The report may be correct, but the small expenditure suggests limited activity and contact on behalf of clients or it may suggest that individual clients, accompanying the lobbyist, did all the spending.

This particular five-client report has been filed and inspected by commission employees, but whether it will receive further notice, and investigation, is never announced until wrongdoing is publicized. Although the commission staff remains tight-lipped when it comes to revealing any complaints about lobbyists, it is known that some investigations are under way, with the results to be turned over to the commission for study and final action.

Created by the 1991 act, the six-member commission is composed equally of Democrats and Republicans, who select their own chairman every two years. Names for the first panel were submitted by the state committees of both parties, and even before it could get organized, party partisans bickered over submitting nominee lists.

The first appointees were named by Gov. Mel Carnahan, although Gov. John Ashcroft sought to name the panel but Democrats were slow in submitting their nominees. Panel members receive a per diem salary of $100.

Monday: A look at Missouri's big-league lobbyists.