Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Thursday vetoed a bill lessening disclosure requirements for lobbyists.

Under the bill, details about free meals accepted by legislators from lobbyists during committee gatherings or national conferences would no longer have been public information.

The measure was designed to clarify parts of a 4-year-old law requiring lobbyists to file reports naming every legislator for whom they buy food and beverages outside of large group events.

That law does not specify that large group events include national conferences, or gatherings of entire legislative committees for meetings, dinners or receptions. Some legislators considered the statute poorly drafted.

In her veto message Thursday, Sebelius said the public is entitled to know how interest groups are trying to influence legislators.

“Open government is essential to our democracy,” Sebelius wrote. “I believe these provisions would deprive the public of important information.”

The measure also would have allowed elected officials to transfer money raised for one campaign to a campaign for another office. The Kansas Supreme Court in December held such transfers illegal because they were not specifically authorized by law.

Such transfers went unchallenged until last year’s Wichita mayoral race, won by former state Rep. Carlos Mayans. An opponent went to court after Mayans transferred $50,000 from his legislative campaign fund to his mayoral campaign.

Sebelius said she supports the provision on transfers and urged legislators to revisit the issue.