OKLAHOMA CITY — Befuddled by new ethics rules, lobbyists have come up with an idea they hope the state Ethics Commission will find palatable.Lobbyist Pat Hall last week proposed a rule to assure that, for example, the Oklahoma State Medical Association would spend, at most, $300 a year on an individual lawmaker for meals or any other gifts.

Lobbyist Pat Hall last week proposed a rule to assure that, for example, the Oklahoma State Medical Association would spend, at most, $300 a year on an individual lawmaker for meals or any other gifts.The state medical association, one of Hall’s clients, has a half-dozen registered lobbyists, and the Ethics Commission has been concerned that each of those lobbyists could spend $300 on the same lawmaker.

Lobbyist Pat Hall last week proposed a rule to assure that, for example, the Oklahoma State Medical Association would spend, at most, $300 a year on an individual lawmaker for meals or any other gifts.The state medical association, one of Hall’s clients, has a half-dozen registered lobbyists, and the Ethics Commission has been concerned that each of those lobbyists could spend $300 on the same lawmaker.Hall’s proposal, he said, would clarify a requirement that the company, no matter how many lobbyists it had, could not spend more than $300 per lawmaker.

Lobbyist Pat Hall last week proposed a rule to assure that, for example, the Oklahoma State Medical Association would spend, at most, $300 a year on an individual lawmaker for meals or any other gifts.The state medical association, one of Hall’s clients, has a half-dozen registered lobbyists, and the Ethics Commission has been concerned that each of those lobbyists could spend $300 on the same lawmaker.Hall’s proposal, he said, would clarify a requirement that the company, no matter how many lobbyists it had, could not spend more than $300 per lawmaker.A new rule intended to address such problems became law July 1, but lobbyists say the law only made matters worse. They say the rule is so broad that if a doctor decided to take a legislator in his home district to dinner, it could count against the Oklahoma State Medical Association’s $300 limit.

Lobbyist Pat Hall last week proposed a rule to assure that, for example, the Oklahoma State Medical Association would spend, at most, $300 a year on an individual lawmaker for meals or any other gifts.The state medical association, one of Hall’s clients, has a half-dozen registered lobbyists, and the Ethics Commission has been concerned that each of those lobbyists could spend $300 on the same lawmaker.Hall’s proposal, he said, would clarify a requirement that the company, no matter how many lobbyists it had, could not spend more than $300 per lawmaker.A new rule intended to address such problems became law July 1, but lobbyists say the law only made matters worse. They say the rule is so broad that if a doctor decided to take a legislator in his home district to dinner, it could count against the Oklahoma State Medical Association’s $300 limit.After a barrage of criticism erupted among lobbyists last month, Ethics Commissioner John Raley proposed that all gift-giving to lawmakers be banned.  This alarmed the lobbyists even more.

Raley said Friday that he is concerned that lobbyists take lawmakers to dinner when it is nothing more than a social event to win favor.

However, lobbyists told the commission last week that it is necessary to have dinners and other events so they can gain access to lawmakers who are often busy when they are at the Capitol.

Raley’s proposal provides an exception. It would permit a lobbyist to buy a lawmaker’s dinner if the two were going to discuss business, such as passage of a certain bill. The commissioner said a reasonable cost would be applicable for this meal, but the intent would be to prevent lobbyists from buying lawmakers’ expensive meals at the best restaurants.

Raley’s proposal, as it is now written, would not require lobbyists to report meal tabs picked up for these working meetings when legislation was discussed.

He said Friday the rules are still in flux and the commission will have to think about how this should be reported. Rules will not be voted on until January.

The proposed rules also would prevent the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University from giving free football tickets to lawmakers, which has been a tradition for years.

Raley said if the lawmakers think they should be at the games, “let them buy a ticket like everybody else.”

An exception would be a lawmaker attending a game in his or her own district.

Lobbyist spending by the numbers (January – June 2007)

• $137,369.40 – Amount spent by lobbyists on state officials and employees during the first six months of 2007.
• $125,282.47 – Amount of the above figure spent on elected offi cials.
• $680.01 – Single largest expenditure reported, by Oklahoma Restaurant Association for lunch for the entire state Senate.
• $1.74 – Single smallest expenditure reported, by Cox Communications for breakfast with House Speaker Lance Cargill.
• 1,991 – Meals paid for by lobbyists during the first six months of 2007.
• 130 – Tickets to athletic events provided by lobbyists during the first six months of 2007.
• 2 – Tickets to the Oklahoma City Philharmonic provided by lobbyists during the first six months of 2007.
• 57 – Percentage of Oklahoma legislators who are Republicans.
• 70 – Percentage of lobbyist expenses for legislators spent on Republicans.Source: State Ethics Commission

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