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Lobbyists Get New Lease on Life

On the second to last day of the legislative session, the Senate voted against a measure that would have banned gifts from lobbyist. Jack Dolan has the story from Jefferson City.

The senate stripped a pending crime bill of a provision known as the zero tolerance amendment, which would have banned all gifts from lobbyists to legislators. John Schneider from St. Louis, who suggested getting rid of the zero tolerance amendment, says it would not have actually prevented special interests from wining and dining law makers, it just would have prevented them from hiring lobbyists to do it. Instead, Schneider says he favors electronic record keeping of all lobbyist expenditures.

A lobbyist gift ban is still alive in the House, but with only one day left in the legislative session, they would have to make it top priority to get it passed. From Jefferson City, I'm Jack Dolan.