JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A Democratic lawmaker wants to remove an exemption in Missouri’s laws allowing some union members to avoid registering as lobbyists.

Rep. Courtney Allen Curtis on Monday compared his bill to other ethics legislation that would restrict lobbyists’ interactions with lawmakers. He told a House committee it’s wrong to carve out special rules for certain groups.Current law requires anyone who receives compensation for lobbying lawmakers to register with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Union workers are exempt from that law, unless their job is specifically to lobby.

Several union members said workers who come to the Capitol are compensated for the time taken off from their jobs, not their persuasive skills. They said workers might otherwise not be able to afford a day off.

Nobody testified in favor of the bill.