RN-T.com – Free football tickets to end for Ga lawmakers

ATLANTA — One college football tradition in Georgia will soon disappear: Letting politicians into the stadium for free.

A new law taking effect next year bans lobbyists from giving Georgia’s politicians free college football tickets, a rite as well-established as Game Day beer and barbecue in the football-obsessed South. As the season kicks off, lobbyists and lawmakers are squeezing in a few more free games before the prohibition takes effect Jan. 1.

Disclosure reports show that lobbyists have given Georgia politicians nearly $1,400 in college football tickets and related entertainment since the start of the season in late August. That’s just the beginning. Last year, registered lobbyists shelled out more than $14,000 in tickets and perks at college football games, according to an Associated Press review of the spending reports that lobbyists must file.

Many lawmakers get tickets in Georgia because the Legislature controls the $6.4 billion higher education budget, including the roughly $1.9 billion that comes directly from state coffers.

Rep. Katie Dempsey , R-Rome, has not received tickets for college football games from lobbyists since 2011 according to state reports. She said that she is glad to pay for football season tickets to the University of Georgia, her alma mater.

“This is ethics moving forward,” Dempsey said. “It is an appropriate expense and something that you may see expanded. There is some value of getting legislators onto our school’s state campuses in order to give them the opportunity to see some of the campus and speak with some of the deans.”

However, even under the new ethics reform, certain legislative days at state colleges and universities will still allow lawmakers to attend games for free when all legislators are invited.

In Georgia, even lower-ranked football programs get in on the act. Georgia State University spent $950 on Aug. 30 to host 16 lawmakers and staffers at its home opener, records show. The guests included Senate President Pro Tempore David Shafer, who noted that he pays for his own tickets to UGA football games.

“I attended the season opener,” Shafer said. “The face value of my ticket was $12.”

via RN-T.com – Free football tickets to end for Ga lawmakers.