By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Lobbyists in Missouri will have to give more details about the gifts they're giving to elected officials, starting in May.
The state Ethics Commission voted Tuesday to close loopholes in lobbyist expenditure reports.
Those gaps have allowed some public officials to go to ballgames and other events without their names ever appearing on the disclosure reports.
Commissioners voted to require lobbyists to identify the recipient of a gift by name and to describe the person's relationship to an elected official. An assistant to a state Senator, for example, would need to be identified, along with the fact that he or she works for that lawmaker.
Lobbyists will also have to disclose entrance fees to sporting events, museums and other venues, regardless of whether the public official attends as recreation or to take part in a meeting or ceremony.