ATLANTA (AP) - Lobbyists could not spend more than $100 on government officials under a Senate plan that tries to bridge differences with House Speaker David Ralston.
The Senate Rules Committee released its version of proposed lobbying rules Thursday that offers a two-track plan.
Committee Chairman Jeff Mullis said governments that do not adopt written ethics rules could not accept money from lobbyists. If those governments do adopt their own ethics plans, they could not allow lobbyists to spend more than $100 per expenditure.
By contrast, House Speaker David Ralston has criticized caps as a gimmick. He proposed a prohibition on lobbyist spending on individual lawmakers, though it left many exceptions. Ralston also wanted more people to be required to register as lobbyists.
The Senate is expected to vote on the plan Friday.
