The Missouri Legislature has passed the first bill in a package of legislation aimed at tightening ethics laws for lawmakers.
The Senate voted 32-0 Tuesday to ban lawmakers and statewide elected officials from working as paid political consultants while they are in office. The House approved the bill earlier this month. It now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon.
The legislation would prohibit office holders from getting paid to plan campaign strategies, fundraise or coordinate advertising.
But it would allow politicians to enter into contracts with campaigns as long as their businesses are not ordinarily involved in politics. And political campaigns would still be able to reimburse office holders for expenses, such as gasoline.
Some Democrats have said the legislation doesn't do far enough because it doesn't cover elected officials' staff.
