State lawmakers accepted dozens of tickets to sporting events, concerts, ski slopes and other occasions and venues last year, exposing yet another way lobbyists wield influence over the legislative process.
In 2005, 65 of the 100 state lawmakers reported accepting more than $29,000 worth of tickets, golf outings, ski-lift passes and fly-fishing and rafting trips.
In all, lawmakers reported receiving more than 322 tickets or gifts, such as greens fees at golf tournaments.
Those tickets – and the ability for donors to get private, exclusive meetings with lawmakers – would not be touched under a cash and in-kind gift ban that is pending in the state legislature.
“It’s not this big scandal,” said Sen. Peter Groff, D-Denver, one of the legislature’s biggest gift recipients. “I don’t think you could find one legislator who has taken a ticket and then turned around and voted against their philosophy, against their district or against their principles. I would be stunned if you did.”
Groff reported taking $2,180 worth of tickets to see the Colorado Rockies, the Denver Nuggets, University of Colorado football, a performance at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, a rodeo, the Denver Zoo, the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament and the circus, as well as having two rounds of golf and ski-lift passes paid for.
The tickets were donated by lobbyists who represent utilities, computer-services firms, skiing interests, casinos, health-care providers, cable companies, cigarette makers and several other interests.
Indeed, it is difficult to tie specific votes to a night out on the town. Groff supported an indoor smoking ban, and he’s heading up a special committee looking into the state’s computer-contracting problems.
Sen. Ron Teck, R-Grand Junction, said the six tickets to Nuggets basketball games that he received from various lobbyists did not change the way he voted on issues.
“I have never, ever had anything given to me with the slightest hint of a quid pro quo,” Teck said.
Gov. Bill Owens reported receiving $3,600 worth of tickets to professional baseball, football, basketball and hockey games. He also received a courtesy card to Six Flags Elitch Gardens and two gold-pass medallions for the current ski season courtesy of Colorado Ski Country USA.
Some watchdogs are critical of the practice of lavish gift-giving for having a potentially corruptive influence.
“We should ban all gifts to lawmakers,” said Pete Maysmith, executive director of Colorado Common Cause. “It (allowing gifts) doesn’t do anything to inspire confidence in our democracy.”
Colorado is one of five states with no limits on gifts – a situation that Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, wants to change by cracking down on the “office account” loophole in state campaign-finance laws.
That loophole lets lawmakers accept cash and in-kind donations to run an office.
The biggest recipient of office-account donations was Sen. Tom Wiens, R-Castle Rock, who reported collecting $20,590 in cash contributions.
Ten House Democrats reported mailings to constituents valued at $83,000 from Research and Democracy, a nonprofit company bankrolled by anonymous donors.
Gifts such as those received by Wiens and the House Democrats would be outlawed under Senate Bill 51. That bill passed the Senate more than a week ago and has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee for review.
Tupa said he is targeting the office-account loophole because such funding is creeping into the process, but he admits it is nearly impossible to cut the ticket taking.
“That’s a fight I don’t want to have,” Tupa said. “You already have at least 63 votes against you.”
Tupa has declined to take the free tickets often offered by lobbyists and other groups with interests at the Capitol. He still has on file a letter he wrote to former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb declining tickets to the Colorado Ballet.
“As a rule, I am against special favors to politicians, no matter how small,” he wrote.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-820-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
Lawmakers about town
Colorado lawmakers are busy ticket takers. They like to have fun when they’re not crafting legislation. The largest recipients of tickets and similar gifts, according to 2005 reports that lawmakers filed with the Colorado secretary of state’s office:
Gov. Bill Owens
Amount: $3,600
Tickets: 15 to the Nuggets, 19 to the Rockies, eight to the Avalanche, one to the Broncos, two season ski passes and a courtesy card to Six Flags Elitch Gardens
Sen. Peter Groff, D-Denver
Amount: $2,180
Tickets: The Rockies, the Nuggets, University of Colorado football, a performance at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, a rodeo, the Denver Zoo, the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament, a circus, two rounds of golf and ski-lift passes
Rep. Joe Stengel, R-Littleton
Amount: $1,608
Tickets: The Broncos, University of Colorado football, the Denver Zoo, two rounds of golf
Rep. Al White, R-Winter Park
Amount: $1,580
Tickets: The Broncos, two rounds of golf
Rep. Joel Judd, D-Denver
Amount: $1,456
Tickets: Two to a Brian Wilson concert, the Broncos, the Nuggets, four tickets to the Avalanche
Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver
Amount: $1,311
Tickets: Four to an Elton John concert, six to the Rockies, two to the Nuggets
Sen. Ed Jones, R-Colorado Springs
Amount: $1,291
Tickets: The Broncos and Nuggets, a round of golf
Rep. Mike May, R-Parker
Amount: $910
Tickets: “Phantom of the Opera,” the Broncos, University of Colorado football, two rounds of golf
Sen. Ron Teck, R-Grand Junction
Amount: $897
Tickets: The Broncos, the Rockies, six to the Nuggets
Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley
Amount: $885
Tickets: The Nuggets, University of Colorado football, University of Northern Colorado football, Denver Art Museum membership, a rafting trip, two on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad
Other notable gifts
Former Sen. Norma Anderson, R-Lakewood: “Wicked” at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, $140
Rep. Buffie McFadyen, D-Pueblo West: Alicia Keys concert, $68
Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora: Two tickets, “Menopause, the Musical,” $85
MARK P. COUCH
