Shields explains use of lobbyist funds

Intro:	In response to Monday's audit of lobbyist contributions, Senate leadership maintains they are choosing the lesser of two evils.
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Wrap: Senate President Pro-tem Charlie Shields said instead of using taxpayer money to pay for meals, the Senate has always used lobbyists' money.

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Description: "You know, do you go back and ask the tax payers to fund that given the challenges we have and do you take money away from education, mental health, health and those kind of things to do it?"

Shields said in light of the audit, the administration will have to decide how they want to handle contributions from lobbyists from now on.

Currently, the Senate has a fund set up for lobbyist money.

According to the audit, lobbyists gave the Senate about 76,000 dollars over the last 6 years.

The fund is separate from the State Treasurer's office, which State Auditor Susan Montee said is illegal, because lobbyists names and how much they gave were not always reported.

The House and Senate both responded by saying it is the lobbyists' responsibility to report their expenses to the state's ethics commission.

Montee said that is a problem.

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Description: "We do have significant concerns over potential conflicts of interest when they are soliciting funds on behalf of the Senate as a body."

Montee said if lobbyists provide food and gifts while the Senate is considering a bill that lobbyists support,

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Description: "It makes it very difficult to say no."

Shields said when lobbyist donate to the account the Senators often don't know which organization paid for what.

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Description: "They pay for the meals for the organization when they work late nights. They put in the fund early and it's not for the meal it's actually taken place while certain legislation is being debated."

But it is not only meals lobbyists have been providing. Montee said the fund paid for parties and gifts.

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Description: "These types of expenditures are not acceptable expenditures on behalf of state agencies."

Montee also audited the House and found similar problems. The House solicits lobbyists to buy meals directly and the cost is not disclosed to representatives or reported to the Ethics Commission.

From Jefferson City, this is Allison Blood, KSMU News.

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Intro:	In response to Monday's Senate audit, leader Charlie Shields defended the Senate's use of lobbyist funds.
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Wrap: The republican Senate leader said the Senate has always used lobbyist funds to pay for meals on late nights during the session.

State Auditor Susan Montee said lobbyists didn't just provide dinners.

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Description: "There were retirement receptions, dinners for the Senators and their staff and Christmas parties and Christmas gifts. If infact you look at the state as a whole these types of expendatures are not acceptable expendatures on behalf of state agencies."

Shields said in light of the audit the Senate administration will decide if they will handle contributions differently.

He said he would rather take money from lobbyists than taxpayers for business expenses.

From Jefferson City, this is Allison Blood, KSMU News.

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