An ethics proposal in Kansas City to limit gifts from lobbyists to $5, restrict taxpayer-funded City Council travel, and extend the revolving door provision was defeated on July 26.

The proposal failed 7-4, even after a bill substitute increased the gift restriction to $50.

The ordinance was introduced by Councilman Scott Taylor, who is also a Kansas City mayoral candidate.

Missouri Ethics Commission Director James Klahr is leaving his post to become deputy director of the Veterans Commission.

After four years as executive director, Klahr’s last day at the Ethics Commission is July 5.

State law allows the director to serve only one six-year term; his term was set to expire September 2019.

The Missouri House of Representatives announced the resignation of Republican Rep. Shawn Rhoads. The resignation was effective Monday afternoon.

Rhoads, who served on the special committee investigating former Gov. Eric Greitens, did not cite a reason for his resignation.

Greitens resigned June 1 and the investigation officially ended June 11 upon the adjournment of the special legislative session.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has announced his resignation amid potential impeachment proceedings. Greitens was indicted in February on a felony invasion of privacy charge stemming from an affair; he was charged with another felony in April related to the improper use of a nonprofit donor list to raise money for his 2016 political campaign. After he refused to step down, the Missouri Legislature convened a special session this month to consider possible impeachment proceedings.

Though he admitted to the affair, Greitens has consistently denied any criminal misconduct. His resignation is effective Friday, June 1.

An organization named Clean Missouri submitted to the secretary of state nearly 350,000 signatures in support of an initiative for the November ballot.

If passed by voters, the initiative would ban lobbyist gifts to state lawmakers and lower campaign contribution limits.

The issue must be reviewed prior to being approved for the 2018 ballot.

Missouri lawmakers will convene a special legislative session on the evening of May 18 following adjournment of the regular legislative session.

Legislators called the special session to consider impeaching Gov. Eric Greitens. Greitens is refusing to step down despite accusations of sexual and physical abuse and despite felony charges for invasion of privacy and computer data tampering.

The special session is scheduled to last for 30 days. If 82 House members vote to impeach him, the matter goes to the Senate to determine if he will be removed from office.

Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill to increase transparency in the state procurement process.

Senate Bill 1060 would require individuals, corporations, associations, and other business entities entering into certain state contracts to disclose political contributions of $500 or more made to 501(c)(4) political organizations.

The bill would also require such persons or entities to file a new disclosure for any year a contract remains in effect.

Without the proposal, the identity of those contributing to political organizations would otherwise remain anonymous; current campaign finance law does not require such organizations to file reports of contributions and expenditures.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted Thursday on a felony invasion of privacy charge related to the cover-up of an extramarital affair.

Although he admits to having the affair, Greitens denies any criminal action and plans to remain in office. However, he will no longer serve on the executive committee of the Republican Governors Association and did not attend the National Governors Association’s annual meeting last weekend in Washington, D.C.

Several lawmakers, including those from his own party, are calling on Greitens to resign; some propose impeachment proceedings if he does not step down.

The Missouri Senate made changes to the lobbyist gift ban passed by the House last month. The bill must pass the Senate before returning to the House for debate.

The original version banned most gifts from lobbyists, while the Senate’s version allows officeholders to accept up to $40 of gifts per day. The amended bill would also allow officials to reimburse lobbyists for gifts exceeding $40 and permit lobbyists to cover a legislator’s constituent expenditures.

If a lawmaker accepts an event ticket from a lobbyist, however, the bill requires the lobbyist to attend the event with the lawmaker.

While the Senate’s version of the bill is less stringent than the House version, it is still considered a step towards ethics reform.

Current law permits elected officials to receive unlimited gifts of any value.

The Missouri House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to pass restrictions on lobbyist gifts on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.

The proposal would ban lobbyist expenditures on individuals, with the exception of customary gifts such as flowers and other plants, and events where all members of the Legislature are invited.

House Bill 1303 has been referred to the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions, and Ethics Committee.

Voters in Kansas City approved a ballot measure on a $1 billion airport project to build a new privately financed airport in the city. The fate of the current 45-year-old airport has been a question for years as the city debated whether to renovate or demolish.

Supporters of the new project said the airport had outlived its usefulness and presented the city in a poor light to travelers. The ballot measure was approved by a 3-to-1 margin.

In St. Louis, voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase for police and fire funding. St. Louis County recently approved similar funding and City officials persuaded voters the tax increase was necessary to have competitive wages.

Voters in Kansas City approved a ballot measure on a $1 billion airport project to build a new privately financed airport in the city. The fate of the current 45-year-old airport has been a question for years as the city debated whether to renovate or demolish.

Supporters of the new project said the airport had outlived its usefulness and presented the city in a poor light to travelers. The ballot measure was approved by a 3-to-1 margin.

In St. Louis, voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase for police and fire funding. St. Louis County recently approved similar funding and City officials persuaded voters the tax increase was necessary to have competitive wages.

Gov. Eric Greitens recently issued writs of election for House Districts 97, 129, and 144.

State Rep. John McCaherty resigned unexpectedly last month from District 97 to focus on running for Jefferson county executive.

Sandy Crawford’s District 129 seat was left vacant following her election to Lt. Gov. Mike Parson’s former seat in the Missouri Senate.

Paul Fitzwater resigned his seat in the 144^th District to accept an appointment to the state Board of Probation and Parole.

The elections will be held February 6, 2018.

The Missouri Ethics Commission recently issued an advisory opinion clarifying campaign finance rules for corporations seeking to contribute to PACs.

Currently, a corporation may not contribute its own funds to its connected PAC, but it may contribute direct corporate funds to an unconnected PAC. The new opinion provides additional guidance on whether a corporation and a PAC are considered connected for the purpose of campaign finance law.

If contributions to a PAC are from a corporation’s general treasury, and not from the corporation’s officers, employees, or spouses thereof, it is possible the PAC is not connected to the organization. In such a scenario, if the corporation does not expend funds or provide services or facilities to administer or maintain the PAC, and it does not expend funds or provide services to solicit contributions to the PAC from its members, officers, directors, employees, or security holders, it is not a connected organization. This is true even when the PAC is funded 100 percent by a corporation’s general treasury funds.

Moreover, assuming the corporation did not establish the PAC and does not serve as a connected organization, it may make unlimited monetary contributions from the corporate treasury.