By Joe Hadsall

Globe columnist

People have a right to know who is contributing money to politicians and what those donors want. But proving that those donations bought something can be difficult.

A new study sponsored by the Missouri Citizen Education Fund makes an attempt at that goal.

The study tracks the money given to Missouri politicians by Rex Sinquefield’s 100 political action committees, then compares how those politicians voted on Sinquefield’s pet issues.

The study’s logic is this: Sinquefield publicly favors the repeal of campaign contribution limits and “school choice” bills, the latter of which would allocate public money to parents to use in the school of their choice. Opponents say “school choice” is a cover for vouchers.

As of April, those committees had given more than $136,200 to candidates statewide. The study’s sponsors also note Sinquefield has thrown more than $1.2 million into this election cycle.

In the 2008 legislative session, the Missouri General Assembly considered bills repealing campaign contribution limits and later attached an amendment that would have removed voucher-friendly legislation from an education bill.

The study suggests Sinquefield would want a “yes” vote on the contributions bill and a “no” vote on the vouchers bill.

According to the study, representatives who received Sinquefield money voted 85.7 percent in favor with his views on removing campaign contribution limits. Those same representatives voted 78.9 percent in favor of school-voucher issues.

Area representatives voted in line with Sinquefield positions in favor of the contributions bill and against the vouchers amendment:

Rep. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, received $2,175.

Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, received $1,000.

Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, received $7,500.

Other members of House leadership voted the same way, including: