Lawmakers can't swallow $15 meal reporting limit

Published on March 4th, 2010

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Alaska legislators say it's almost impossible to get a decent meal in Juneau for under $15, so they are considering rolling back a requirement that lobbyists report when they buy lawmakers food or drink over that amount.

The Legislature passed the $15 disclosure threshold in 2007 as part of an ethics reform package after the state was rocked by federal bribery and extortion charges against Alaska politicians.

The law has proven unpopular with many legislators, though some counter that lobbyists can always pick up a tab for more than amount if they disclose it to the Alaska Public Offices Commission and name the legislator or legislative staff member they treated.

A bill now before the Legislature would raise the threshold to $50.

"Is a meal unethical? No. Should it be reported? Well, maybe," said Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole. "If you spend $100 on a meal, I think people have a right to know. But if you're just sitting down to a meal with somebody, what's the big deal? It's nothing unethical."

Coghill sponsored a wide-ranging ethics bill that was reworked in committee to raise the disclosure limit for lobbyist-paid meals to $50. He said he favors the change, but worries it could sink the measure that contains other things he considers important, such as making it clear what legislators can do to help constituents and when they can participate in charity events. The bill is now before the House Finance Committee.

Coghill said the $15 limit often becomes the issue rather than whether an actual meeting is ethical.