Missouri State Representative Calls for Ban on Gifts to Legislators

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Intro:	Lobbyists treat lawmakers to meals to talk to them about issues that concern them. And even though the system is transparent, one state representative is calling for an end to the gifts.
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Wrap: Democratic state representative Scott Sifton is one of more than a dozen lawmakers that have pledged to not take any gifts or meals from lobbyists, while in the legislature.

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Description: "It's just out of control. The report released by the ethics commission earlier this week, that just in the first 8 months of this year, Missouri lawmakers and staffers have recieved more than 23 hundred gifts."

Sifton is currently running for state senate against incumbent Jim Lembke to represent St. Louis County.

And while Lembke in a report by the ethics commision is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the gifts, he says this is just an attack on him and Sifton avoiding the issues that matter in the upcoming election.

From the state Capitol, I'm Sherman Fabes. Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	Lobbyists treat lawmakers to meals to talk to them about issues that concern them. And even though the system is transparent, one state representative is calling for an end to the gifts
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OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: Democratic state representative and state senate candidate Scott Sifton says the gifts are out of control.

He is one of more than a dozen lawmakers, including former republican House Speaker Steven Tilley, that have pledged to not take any gifts or meals from lobbyists, while in the legislature

A report by the Missouri Ethics commision says St. Louis County state senator Jim Lembke has recieved more than 500 meals and gifts over the past 10 years.

So now guess who Sifton is running against...

Jim Lembke.

And Lembke says the meals don't mean a thing.

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Description: "Instead of talking about issues, that are important to the people of the 1st district, Mr. Sifton wants to talk about things, people don't care about."

From the state Capitol, I'm Sherman Fabes. Newsradio 1120 KMOX.