Bill would boost Iowa gift limit

So for a columnist, like myself, the Legislature is a gift that keeps on giving. But in the highly unlikely event I ever wanted to return the favor, my generosity is limited to $3 by state law.

That's the legal limit on gifts from 'restricted donors,” mostly people seeking to influence government, public officials, employees, candidates and so on. It's been $3 since the 1990s. Now, there's a study bill in the Iowa House that would raise it to $10.

The bill wasn't written by lawmakers looking for free beers. It was requested by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. The board's executive director, Megan Tooker, says it's time for an update.

Three bucks doesn't amount to a hill of beans in our new Gilded Age. The board gets many calls from organizations and businesses trying to figure out just how many cookies they can offer at a groundbreaking ceremony featuring local politicians without breaking the law. Raising it to $10 would provide some breathing room.

'It's still not going to buy you a steak dinner,” Tooker said of the $10 threshold, while pointing out a $3 limit is ironic in a state that also allows unlimited campaign donations.

So you can give a lawmaker a $100,000 contribution but you can't buy her 'a 'latte at Starbucks,” Tooker said. Good point. But would you be surprised to know there are some loopholes in our gift law?

A few years ago, lawmakers decided interest groups should be allowed to hold legislative receptions that exceed the per-lawmaker spending limit, so long as all 150 lawmakers are invited. During the first week of this year's session, the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives was lead sponsor for a $19,308 event at the State Historical Building and the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, and several corporate co-sponsors, threw a $14,161 reception at a hotel near the Statehouse. A couple of weeks later, the Iowa Optometric Association hosted a $8,922 gathering at the same hotel. It's good to know our lawmakers are not going hungry. Last year, according to an analysis by Iowa Watch, $370,000 was spent by interest groups on 130 receptions.

It's also OK under Iowa law for public officials to go on trade missions paid for by corporate interests, or to receive free food, travel and lodging at conferences where they give speeches. Tooker's board backs another study bill that would require officials to disclose any honoraria officials receive for appearing or speaking if it exceeds $1,000. The measure actually has cleared a couple of subcommittees.

But I'm not expecting much action on raising the $3 gift limit. It's an election year, after all, and it wouldn't look too good. Voters are in no mood these days for politicians at troughs. This reality, no doubt, came up during chitchat near the ABI buffet.

Personally, I don't have a problem raising the gift limit. Three dollars is pretty low. It's still more than our politicians deserve some days, but I'm willing to be reasonable.

Maybe the gift limit should match the state minimum wage, which has been sitting at $7.25 since 2007. It would give lawmakers firsthand knowledge of its buying power, and maybe lead to a raise. The Higher Wage and Free Beer Act of 2016, perhaps.

l Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com