By BROCK VERGAKIS

Associated Press Writer



SALT LAKE CITY (AP)--Sen. Howard Stephenson could barely contain his excitement when he talked about software to help Utah students read.

As co-chairman of a subcommittee that recommends millions of dollars in education spending, the Draper Republican wants to make as much as $50 million available to schools for the technology.

"If all we have is empty computers without software to instruct students in reading, writing and arithmetic, we don't really have technology in the classroom," Stephenson says in a video shown to other lawmakers last week.

What was missing in the video was any mention of who paid for it--the software companies that stand to gain millions in sales.

"It was done by competitors. ... Different ones helped with different parts," Stephenson said in an interview.

On Dec. 31, one of the companies, Imagine Learning Inc. of Provo, donated $1,000 to the senator's campaign fund, or nearly 20 percent of all money raised in 2007, according to finance reports.

Now that lawmakers have returned to work Monday for their annual 45-day session, they'll determine how Utah state government will spend billions of dollars. But during debates, rarely will they acknowledge the gifts bestowed by lobbyists or the money donated to their campaigns.

Loose disclosure rules have made it difficult to determine who is paying for access on a specific issue. It's also hard to know just who is being lobbied or the backgrounds of people donating to campaigns.

Utah, ranked 39th, recently got an 'F' for its disclosure laws in a report from the UCLA School of Law and other groups.

Stephenson said he wasn't sure which software company had donated campaign money, and he didn't think about identifying the companies that paid for the video.

"It didn't occur to me," he said. "Last year we did the same thing and took half a day and had different vendors come in and show the products with the core curriculum."

Lawmakers are required to fill out conflict-of-interest forms in which they list personal stakes in businesses or industries. House and Senate rules sometimes require some additional disclosure during floor debates, although there is little oversight to ensure compliance.

Some lawmakers receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions. But when discussing a bill or casting a vote, they are not required to disclose whether contributors could benefit from the legislation.

Stephenson said disclosing donations during legislative hearings "might work."

"I don't do quid pro quo and everybody knows that. I am the one driving this, not them," he said of software companies.

Imagine Learning is a 3-year-old company that produces interactive software used in schools nationwide, including Utah's, to help struggling students and kids whose native language isn't English.

"It's fairly normal for us to support the legislators who are championing effective new ways of approaching the problems we have in education," explained Imagine Learning sales chief Derrin Hill, when asked about the Stephenson campaign donation.

Imagine Learning has six registered lobbyists, according to state filings--but even those records aren't reliable.

Charles Evans, for example, lists the company among his 23 clients, which include EnergySolutions, Salt Lake County and Altius Health Plans.

His financial-disclosure report says he spent more than $6,800 on meals for lawmakers and their families. Evans doesn't list the issues he was discussing or any specific client during dozens of meals throughout the past year. State law says it's not required.

When contacted by The Associated Press, Evans said Imagine Learning hasn't been a client since last spring. He said he just didn't get around to removing his name from records at the Lieutenant Governor's Office.

Evans said it would be difficult for lobbyists to identify issues they're peddling to lawmakers because they may talk about the needs of several clients during the same meal _ if they talk shop at all.

"When you're having lunch with a legislator, especially maybe during the session, are you really only talking about one issue? Most of the time I'm out with a legislator we don't even talk politics or legislation," Evans said.

Lobbyists are required to identify legislators by name when they spend more than $50 per person. Many lobbyists have made an art of spreading costs around so that threshold isn't met.

While working for Imagine Learning, Evans sought state money for English language programs, the company's specialty. Stephenson is sold on the concept and hopes to persuade other lawmakers in the weeks ahead.

"It's my dream that every ELL (English language learner) student will have the option to have computer-assisted instruction every day provided uniformly throughout the state," Stephenson said.

Democratic lawmakers have called for changes in ethics laws. But Republicans, who control the Legislature, say they're offended by the belief that they can be influenced by expensive meals, free golf or playoff tickets to Utah Jazz games.

"We definitely need to look at ethics--sometimes things slip by," Sen. Patricia Jones, D-Holladay, said recently when it was learned she accepted free tickets to a Billy Joel concert.

She pledged to pay the health-care lobbyist who supplied them. Stephenson got a pair too.

Many Republicans have said they deserve the year-round gifts because of the hard work they do on the public's behalf.

In 2006, Stephenson resisted an effort to identify lawmakers by name when they receive inexpensive gifts because it would give ``an irresponsible media more fodder to demonize the Legislature.''

Among the issues lawmakers will debate this session:

- Teacher compensation and recruitment.

- Cutting property taxes.

- Making animal torture a felony

- Outlawing workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity.

- Water rights.

-The sale of alcohol in bars during elections; malt beverage sales in liquor stores.

-Illegal immigration.