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Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt walks across the field prior to the NCAA college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Vanderbilt Commodores in Athens, Ga., Sat., Sept. 22, 2012. (AJ Reynolds/Staff)
By Nick Coltrain updated Sunday, May 12, 2013 - 9:52pm close Government and business reporter nick.coltrain@onlineathens.com Latest Stories Athens-Clarke committee puts off decision on law limiting use of land surrounding business to review ordinance draft After Prince Avenue meeting, questions of scope linger
The legislation, signed last week — almost a year after voters in both summer 2012 primaries overwhelmingly supported ethics reform — will bar all event tickets and gifts of more than $75 to elected officials, costing the university a tool to bond with legislators and policymakers, officials said.
Tricia Chastain, director of state relations for the University of Georgia, said her office cruise new york france will continue extending invitations for the upcoming football season, but will respect the wishes of legislators wanting to comply early with the law, which goes into effect Jan. 1.
In 2012, lobbyists with the University cruise new york france System of Georgia reported giving $14,359 worth of football tickets to public officials ranging from the Athens-Clarke County mayor and commissioners to state senators and representatives from in and out of the Athens cruise new york france area, according to the state ethics website. Ethics legislation signed by Gov. Nathan Deal last week bans giving out event tickets, cruise new york france football included, and caps what lobbyists can spend on legislators.
Football isn't the only sporting event legislators have been invited to: A records request shows the office of UGA President Michael Adams invited on April 4 each of the Athens-area state legislators, plus a guest, to the president's skybox overlooking the 9th and 18th greens for a day during the Stadion Classic golf tournament. It's unclear which, if any, of the delegates accepted.
cruise new york france "We are a public institution, and if a legislator wants to come to our campus or wants us to come see them about a specific thing we are working on in our campus, that is a thing we do and absolutely will do," she said.
Concerning football, Chastain echoed statements made by Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, last week at an Athens-Clarke County cruise new york france Federation of Neighborhoods meeting that games are an opportunity for officials from the university and government to mingle in a less formal setting, cruise new york france getting to know individuals and issues.
He said he prefers to watch the game where his personal season tickets put him, on the 50-yard cruise new york france line and about 30 rows up, but watching a few home games from the president's box makes him a better lawmaker. It gives him and other legislators cruise new york france an opportunity to interact and build relationships with UGA's senior administration, members of the board of regents, deans and others. Living in Athens, Cowsert said he has better access than many other legislators to those at UGA, but it is a convenience. cruise new york france Limiting access to that relationship building and policy talk, should the legislation lead to that, could become an unintended consequence of the law, he said.
He, like other legislators, said they had never seen "bought-and-paid-for" lawmakers, but he didn't discount the weight of perceptions. Still, some events are opportunities to learn more about what's going on and build relationships, he said.
"I think it's really going to change things. I think it's going to make it tougher for the university to develop good relationships with the legislative cruise new york france body, especially with some of us being newer to the Legislature," Cowsert cruise new york france said.
Cowsert said that following the 2012 Republican primary election, where voters overwhelmingly supported capping lobbyist spending at $100, the Senate imposed that as an in-house rule, though Cowsert said he had "zero tolerance" for lobbyist spending on him. He said he spent six weeks figuring out who gave him a tie so he could return it.
"I just felt like it was simpler for me. I can pay for my own meals," he said. "If it creates any suspicion or inference that someone is trying to adversely influence me or unduly influence me by providing me some benefits, I'd rather cruise new york france just not create that impression."
Records on the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission website cruise new york france show that he only benefited from $12.23 in lobbyist spending so far in 2013, for which he says he has written a reimbursement check. The previous year, Cowsert benefited from more than $3,600 cruise new york france in lobbyist spending.
The 2012 primary vote was the catalyst for the shift, he said. He did not stop attending dinners or going to events where other legislators or lobbyists would be, as he continues to see value in those interactions, but now makes sure to pay his own way, he said.
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