Last year at this time, the Nixon Administration claimed it had a letter from bond counsel on which it was relying to justify Gov. Nixon's belief that he could unilaterally agree to an unlimited amount of debt to fund construction of a new stadium in St. Louis. The Nixon Administration cited attorney-client privilege and refused to release the letter. Last year, I could understand why. The stadium "plan" was ongoing.
On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee for General Administration heard testimony on the state's continuing debt for the Edward Jones Dome - and one of the first questions I asked was about that letter. Specifically, because the stadium plan is dead, I asked whether they would now release the letter which they claimed last year justified their position.
I was met with the same response. Different scenario. Same response. Nixon's refusal to release the letter supports one of two inferences: either the letter doesn't say what they claimed; or it doesn't it exist. In short, I believe the Nixon Administration has misled the General Assembly and the public about the contents or existence of this letter from bond counsel. And, this being the Show-Me State, there's one simple way to prove me wrong: SHOW US THE LETTER.
Serving the public should require forgoing private profits
Legislators, judges, public employees with decision-making purchasing authority, and members of boards and commissions are all prohibited under current state law from taking actions which might benefit them personally. The reason for the ban on self-dealing is obvious: those who serve in the public trust should not use their positions to make private profits.
Unfortunately, Gov. Nixon's actions concerning the stadium revealed a hole in Missouri's ethics laws. Under federal law, members of executive branch task forces are prohibited from self-dealing. Under state law, they are also covered by the Sunshine Law. (See AG Jay Nixon opinions 129-2004 and 143-2003 which he has ignored in his role as governor.) But they are not explicitly covered by the self-dealing statute.
House Bill 2226 closes this large hole in Missouri's ethics laws. It applies the self-dealing prohibition to gubernatorial task force members charged with rendering advice involving spending your tax dollars. It requires the same task force members to submit personal financial disclosures. On Thursday, it passed the House by a vote of 157 to four.
Gift ban bill moves to Senate
On Wednesday, the House passed legislation to ban lobbyist gifts by a vote of 147-12. If this bill makes it through the Senate, the days of $500 steak dinners are done.
The vast majority of elected officials begin (and continue) their public service for the right reasons. They serve because they want to improve our state and their respective communities.
Power is a great test of character. Men and women in public service have decision-making authority on issues that affect billion dollar industries - on salaries that are fair, but nowhere near the impact they can have on others.
I don't believe anyone's vote has ever been bought for an average priced meal. But I do know of elected officials who have abused the current laws to extract extravagant meals and gifts from lobbyists. And I believe there are some elected officials for whom gifts helped cause them to lose sight of why they were in Jefferson City to begin with.
Elected officials serve at the public trust. We represent you - not ourselves. That's why in the General Assembly we don't even refer to members by their name, but instead only by their district or their county.
The same should be true of local elected officials. So this week we added an amendment imposing the same gift ban on every elected official in the state.
Combined, the seven ethics bills passed by the House and the rules changes on sexual harassment, which have already taken affect, will make our Capitol a better place.
Unlike past years, we kept ethics bills narrow this year. In the past, for efficiency, we likely would have rolled all seven of these bills together into an omnibus package. But that path led to failure every time it was tried in the past. This year we resisted the temptation to broaden the scope of each bill. A serious effort at ethics reform requires focused attention. I remain hopeful that the Senate will pass each of these seven bills quickly.
Parental leave for state employees
On Monday, the Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability heard House Bill 2228, my bill to provide state employees with ten days of paid maternity or paternity leave after the birth of a child. A new mother shouldn't have to take a "sick day" to deliver a baby.
This pro-life, pro-family employment policy is becoming fairly common in the private sector, and I hope we can provide that benefit for state employees.
Next month, the bill will take on added importance.
Sometime in February, we will welcome a fourth child into the world.
I will miss a few days of session and a weekly column to be at home with a newborn and family, and I believe every state employee should be afforded the same benefit.
State Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, represents Missouri's 60th District.