The Missouri Senate is poised to pass the first major set of bills of the season: Six ethics bills are scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor Monday.
Earlier this session, Speaker of the House Todd Richardson talked about the importance of addressing this issue.
“We had a lot of things that didn’t make it across the finish line last year ... and those that are interested in playing politics with the issue of ethics reform, I just don’t have any patience or tolerance for,” said Richardson.
As St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin previously reported, some legislators are concerned these bills don’t go far enough, but others are patting themselves on the back for getting these bills through the state's two chambers so quickly.
Here is a full list of the ethics bills schedule for a final vote on Monday:
- HB 1575, sponsored by Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, requires public officials to disclose travel expenses paid by a third party within 30 days.
- HB 1979, also sponsored by Rowden, proposes tighter restrictions for public officials becoming lobbyists.
- HB 2166, sponsored by Rep. Justin Alferman, R-Hermann, bans lobbyists from expenditures to officials over $50.
- HB 1983, sponsored by Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, adds restrictions on officials acting as paid political consultants.
- HB 2203, sponsored by Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, modifies existing rules for campaigns by requiring that any investments be made only in immediately liquid funds.
- HB 2226, also sponsored by Barnes, defines special executive branch appointees as public officials, which targets Gov. Jay Nixon's stadium special task force.
If the Senate passes these bills without amendments, they will move to the governor’s desk for signature.
Mallory Daily is an intern at the State Capitol Bureau for St. Louis Public Radio. Follow on Twitter: @malreports
