LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — When you’re Nebraska governor, the gifts just keep coming.
Gov. Dave Heineman reports he received 255 gifts last year. That’s an average of nearly five gifts a week.
Gifts disclosed included food, books, T-shirts and 25 free golf outings with friends, business executives and lobbyists.
Most of the gifts fell below the state’s $100 reporting requirement. Four were valued at more than $1,000, including memberships at two exclusive golf clubs, according to data from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission requested by The Associated Press.
Jack Gould of Common Cause Nebraska says the gifts should be banned because they undermine public trust.
Heineman says he golfs to relax with friends, and most of the gifts are tokens of appreciation from community groups he visits.
Gifts to Gov. Dave Heineman, according to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission:
— 26 food items, including eight filet mignon Omaha steaks and lobster tails from Maine Gov. Paul LePage, a box of Tootsie Rolls and Christmas cookies from the Nebraska Supreme Court.
— 25 golf outings with friends, business executives and lobbyists, including chamber of commerce events.
— 48 Books, many of them promotional or Nebraska-themed. Titles include “Eat Move Sleep,” ”Standing Bear of the Ponca,” ”Texas Trounces the Left’s War on History,” and a large-print Bible.
— 34 sets of tickets to events, including campaign fundraisers for Republican candidates, chamber of commerce luncheons, charity banquets and a $500 ticket to the Omaha Symphony Gala.
— 30 shirts from businesses, school groups and constituents.
— Four gifts valued at more than $1,000: a $2,000 golf bag from Tam and Kathleen Allan; an $1,875 golf package from Cox Communications; a membership at the Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln (exact price not given); and a membership at the Champions Run Golf Club in Omaha, valued at $3,000.
— A dog collar, leash and handkerchief for Snickers, the first dog.