Star: "Time For A House-Cleaning"

Following up on yesterday's series of articles:

From the outside, the workings of the Missouri legislature appear mysterious indeed.

Why, for instance, did the House work so hard this year to try to change the way the state’s judges are selected?

Stories by reporters Jason Noble and Steve Kraske in Sunday’s Kansas City Star supply the explanation: Legislative action in the House too often is a salable commodity.

The stories describe how wealthy contributors influence legislative work, often with the help of former Republican House speaker Rod Jetton.

Jetton’s ethical shortcomings were apparent while he was still in office. He shamelessly moonlighted as a campaign consultant for fellow lawmakers while at the same time deciding what legislation to move forward and who should get credit for it...

Excessive campaign contributions and brazen political power plays are soiling Missouri’s Capitol. If lawmakers won’t voluntarily clean up their house, voters should replace them with legislators who will. Or perhaps the FBI will take the initiative.