GUTHRIE - During the first six months of this year registered lobbyists bestowed nearly $120,000 of gifts on Oklahoma legislators. According to a recent report published in the Daily Oklahoman State Representative Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) was #1 in the House and the Senate when it came to not accepting those gifts.

Murphey asserts that he has returned or refused hundreds of dollars of lobbyists gifts during the past session. Murphey states that even though gifts are sometimes left with his office staff or mailed to his home he makes sure that he does not accept them. "I want to spend my time in the legislature working for the people not accepting lobbyist gifts," Murphey said.

The Oklahoman report showed lobbyists expenditures on legislators ranging from over 3,500 to just over 70 dollars. The report incorrectly showed that Murphey had accepted one gift, a 70 dinner. Murphey states that the error was due to a mistaken report filed by a lobbyist. " "I don't think I have ever eaten a $70 dinner in my entire life much less one that was paid for by a lobbyist," he said. Murphey said he was back home in his district at the time and was miles away from the restaurant where the lobbyist dinner occurred.

The mistake has inspired Murphey to create a proposal establishing a list with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission on which lawmakers could request placement. Lobbyists would be prevented from giving to those lawmakers. Murphey says if such a list were to be established it would put pressure on lawmakers as he believes their constituents would demand the lawmakers place themselves on this list. "This could be a fantastic tool for minimizing special interests' influence," Murphey said.

Murphey's proposal is based on a North Carolina General Assembly policy that took effect in March of 2006. Murphey states that 43 members of the North Carolina Assembly are currently listed on a "No-Gift" list.