Sexiness, lobbying don't mix this year

By Jim Tharpe

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Maybe it’s the recession and the certainty of painful budget cuts. Maybe it’s the new, no-nonsense leadership in the state House of Representatives. Maybe it’s the likelihood of tougher ethics laws.

Whatever the cause, lawmakers and lobbyists at the state Capitol agree that a palpably somber tone has already come to define this year’s session of the often raucous General Assembly.

“This is not a frat house,” newly elected House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) said shortly after the session began last week.

He added this week, “I want the people of Georgia to know that we are busy working on the budget, transportation, water, education, ethics reform and other issues.”

Perhaps most noticeable this year is that the so-called “babe alley” at the state Capitol seems to have vanished — at least for now.

A high-profile sex scandal certainly has played a role in the changes on the coveted stretch of real estate near the House speaker’s office on the third floor of the Capitol.

Just last year, the marble hallway, lined with polished-oak benches, was peopled by bevies of attractive young female lobbyists decked out in high heels and form-fitting outfits. But that was before Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) resigned after his ex-wife accused him of carrying on an affair with a female lobbyist.

Walk the corridor today, and you’re more likely to run into a bunch of grizzled old Capitol veterans in serious blue suits.

“The babelicious lobbyist factor has definitely diminished,” said state Rep. Stephanie Benfield (D-Atlanta). “Heels have gotten shorter; skirts have gotten longer.”

Said Republican state Rep. Jill Chambers of Atlanta: “I would say that fetching young things are out of style this year.”

Neill Herring, an environmental lobbyist, said the change is apparent to lobbyists as well as lawmakers.

“The party-girl element is definitely missing,” Herring said. “You’re down to your dedicated transaction people.”

One veteran female lobbyist, who asked not to be identified out of concern that it would hurt her lobbying efforts, said most of those in her profession welcome the new tone.

“Most lobbyists are very serious about the causes they represent, and they see the new atmosphere as something very positive,” she said. “But it’s anybody’s guess whether it will last.”

Another female lobbyist, who also asked not to be identified, said there is an air of uncertainty hanging over the Capitol this year, created by the recession, the new House leadership and proposed new ethics rules.

“You are seeing a lot of lobbyists lying low until ethics legislation passes,” she said.

More than a half-dozen pieces of ethics legislation have been introduced so far this year, and more are expected by the time the session shifts into high gear. The bills would do everything from limit the gifts lawmakers can take from lobbyists to forcing tax-delinquent lawmakers to pay up or get out.

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) said she thinks Ralston’s election as House speaker sent a clear message to lawmakers and lobbyists alike. Richardson’s fall and Ralston’s rise have had a double-whammy impact, she said. A woman lawmaker, Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton), was chosen as speaker pro tem.

“David Ralston brings a totally different tone to the House,” Oliver said. “I perceive a detectable change in atmosphere, and I’m grateful for it.”

Former state Sen. Rusty Paul, who now works as a lobbyist for the firm Arnall Golden Gregory, said there appear to be fewer lobbyists in general at the Capitol this year. And the ones who are there have outwardly toned things down.

“There’s no question that people are going out of their way not to draw attention to themselves,” Paul said. “That’s the new ethic at the Capitol.”

Paul, the former chairman of the state GOP, said the economy also has taken its toll on the number of lobbyists at the Capitol.

Many of the younger lobbyists were “contract lobbyists,” hired just for the session to monitor committee meetings while full-time lobbyists did the heavy lifting.

Paul said many of the companies who hired lobbyists in the past were involved in financial services, construction or real estate. Those industries have been hit hard by the recession, limiting the amount of money they can spend on governmental lobbying.

“A lot of people who would have hired you a year ago aren’t in business today,” Paul said.

But what about “babe alley”? Is it gone for good?

Not all Statehouse veterans think so.

State Sen. Bill Hamrick (R-Carrollton) recently looked across the hall to the area near the speaker’s office. A reporter noted the change in scenery, but Hamrick was skeptical.

“They’re still here,” Hamrick said. “They’re just in hiding.”