The Missouri Senate has backed a proposal to stop the practice of lobbyists paying for catered events for groups of elected officials.
Senators voted 19-8 Tuesday for a proposal to stop group spending by lobbyists. The change was made as an amendment to legislation aimed at limiting lobbyist spending on lawmakers.
Some senators criticized a practice of lobbyists regularly catering meals for lawmakers at the Capitol.
Republican Sen. Rob Schaaf of St. Joseph proposed changing that. He says lobbyist spending can lead to a pay-to-play system that allows lobbyists to pay for access to legislators.
The change was part of a larger debate in the Legislature over tightening the state's lax ethics laws following recent resignations of lawmakers accused of inappropriate behavior.