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Bart Korman, Ethics, General Assembly, HB 2059, lobbying, missouri
A bill, filed yesterday by Representative Bart Korman (r):
HB 2059
Specifies that sexual relations between lobbyists and members of the General Assembly or their staff shall be considered gifts subject to reporting with certain exceptionsSponsor: Korman, Bart (042)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2016
LR Number: 5684H.01I
Last Action: 01/06/2016 – Introduced and Read First Time (H)
Bill String: HB 2059
Next Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: HOUSE BILLS FOR SECOND READING
The bill text:
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2059 [pdf]
98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE KORMAN.5684H.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal section 105.473 as enacted by house bill no. 1900, ninety-third general assembly, second regular session, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to lobbyist expenditures.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
[….]
….(3) For purposes of subdivision (2) of this subsection, the term “gift” shall include sexual relations between a registered lobbyist and a member of the general assembly or his or her staff. Relations between married persons or between persons who entered into a relationship prior to the registration of the lobbyist, the election of the member to the general assembly, or the employment of the staff person shall not be reportable under this subdivision. The reporting of sexual relations for purposes of this subdivision shall not require a dollar valuation…
[….]
[emphasis in original]
“…The reporting of sexual relations for purposes of this subdivision shall not require a dollar valuation…”
Think of the costs.
It’s going to be an epic legislative session.
At first hear my immediate reaction was the costing. According to the statute they have to state the value. Now he did write that out in the bill, but amendments must address this.
I think just like the school funding formula, I believe they should have a calculation to determine the true value of these “gifts” to be compliant with statute.
Here is my stab at it:
For every sexual “gift”, report value by the following formula:
Total time (in whole minutes) for each gift times the number of lobbyist participants. Using that number take the average cost per prostitute encounter in Jeff City as determined by a commission set up to study such things, the MO COITeS (Missouri Commission on Influencing Taxation in Exchange for Sex). Multiply the commissions findings in dollars and presto. There is the value.
Certainly other amendments may address “extras” such as massage, handcuffs, French maid outfits, etc. I leave the hard decisions to the legislators.
Matthew K. Dunn
Highland, Kansas though I have to pay income taxes in Missouri because that is where my job is so I can speak my mind. Pay in two states by the way. Not bitter.