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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Classic Forums Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Women in Business Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Customer Service Advertise With Us Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map Email Story to a Friend January 9, 2007 State House Democrats reject tough GOP rules Democratic plan allows some small gifts, bars more expensive perks By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — House Democrats on Monday beat back an attempt by the Republican minority to ban any gifts to legislators, no matter the value. Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, offered the outright prohibition at a meeting of a three-member special committee on rules on the opening day of the 2007 legislative session. But after more than an hour of debate, the House approved 56-4 a less-restrictive version that prohibits big-ticket perks such as restaurant meals, entertainment, sporting events and trips to posh resorts. It allows House members and staff to accept up to $10 in gifts from lobbyists, and it exempts some items such as gifts from family members, promotional mugs and T-shirts, plaques with a resale value of $25 or less and books related to state issues. The new rule goes into effect immediately. Richardson, GOP whip in the House, said it was "absurd" to implement a $10 rule, noting it would be virtually impossible to set values on routine, de minimis gifts that are given to members. Advertisement Two major issues have brought the ethics code to the forefront: the scandals in Congress surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and visits to Maui involving seven current and former Oregon legislators — including Sen. Jason Atkinson, R-Central Point — that were paid for by the Oregon Beer & Wine Distributors Association. According to several of the lawmakers, they were advised by association lobbyist Paul Romain that they didn't need to list the trips on their annual reports to the Oregon Ethics Commission. Richardson said his "no gift" amended version was not intended to upstage the Democrats, who took over control of the House by a narrow margin — 31-29 — in November. But House Majority Leader Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone, complained that he saw the GOP changes only the night before. The Democratic version had been worked on for several months with input from both parties. He called the Republican amendments an attempt at "one-upmanship." "It is not a helpful response to a deliberate and carefully thought-out proposal," Hunt said. The battle still isn't over. The rules are temporary until the House can draft a statute limiting gifts and other perks for both chambers. The Senate, meanwhile, will introduce its own bill with a different set of limits. Hearings will begin Thursday on Senate Bill 10, which currently has a $50 ceiling on gifts, but Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown, D-Portland, said that figure plus other provisions are not written in stone. Hearings on a House bill won't begin for several weeks. Any differences between the House and Senate ethics measures would have to be resolved before going to the governor. Don Jepsen is a freelance writer living in Salem. Reach him at [email protected]. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Trunks, Footlocker Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Discount Hotel Reservations Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Online Casino Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Debt Help New Hampshire Primary