LETTERS: LAW ON PUBLIC FUNDS, ELECTIONS WAS ONLY PARTIALLY EXPLAINED

To the editor:

Mel Hancock's guest column on election offenses as published by your paper on Oct. 3 was somewhat misleading, particularly in the areas of expenditures of public funds, public appearances and press releases.

Revised Statutes of Missouri 1993 actually reads as follows:

ELECTION OFFENSES

11.646. Public funds expenditure by political subdivision officer or employee, prohibited - personal appearances permitted. - No contribution or expenditure of public funds shall be made directly by any officer, employee or agent of any political subdivision to advocate, support or oppose any ballot measure or candidate for public office. This section shall not be construed to prohibit any public official of a political subdivision from making public appearances or from issuing press releases concerning any such ballot measure.

It appears that Congressman Hancock misrepresented the statute through a misquote and selective omission of pertinent information.

BOB WOODARD

Cape Girardeau