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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Free games of golf, hotel stays and expensive meals were among the tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts state lawmakers accepted in the first three months of 2009.
Financial disclosure reports due Friday also show that several lawmakers were treated to unspecified entertainment on the same nights the Utah Jazz had home games.
The legislative session ran from late January to mid-March. State lawmakers place no limits on what gifts they can accept.
The vast majority of lobbyist gifts come in the forms of meals, but lawmakers who dine on a company's dime are only identified if their meal costs more than $50. Many lobbyists avoid disclosing lawmakers' names by spreading around the costs of meals among multiple lobbyists and lawmakers.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
