HCC No Longer Allowed Lobbyists Gifts

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Hillsborough County commissioners are no longer allowed to accept gifts from lobbyists.

TAMPA - Hillsborough County commissioners will no longer be allowed to accept gifts of any value from people who are paid to lobby them.

Commissioners unanimously placed the restriction upon themselves Wednesday, allowing new member Al Higginbotham to say he fulfilled a campaign pledge.

Higginbotham, elected in November, said he pursued the measure to address perceptions that commissioners are beholden to people who do business with the county, rather than as a fix for any actual wrong he has witnessed.

"This to me is just a step forward in working toward the perception," he said.

Do any readers out there know if there are any loopholes in the new rule? I like to see the language of the new rule.