Mickey Channell, R-Greensboro, chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, and Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro, chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee on health. The health care lobby often wines and dines the two men, who usually take their wives along. The AJC examined 2012 disclosures by seven health care lobbyists and found that they treated the two couples to 36 meals and at least three out-of-town conferences. Said Channell: "They just like to go to dinner because I've got a great personality, and they like to laugh at my jokes. Or I have a significant role in shaping health care policy in this state. I'm not sure which one it is." He noted: "I'm accessible to constituents in a similar fashion. I guess it's worked pretty well, since I'm entering my 21st year as a representative from this part of the state."
CONVENTIONS
• The Georgia Health Care Association, the nursing home lobby, and UHS Pruitt Corp. (assisted living centers) sent both couples to a nursing home industry convention June 10-13 at Amelia Island, Fla. (The filings say the two groups spent $210.84 per couple on dinner June 12, and the GHCA picked up the $249-a-night hotel rooms for both couples — three nights for the Channells and four for the Parrishes.)
Tab for the Channells: $1,058.77 Tab for the Parrishes, $1,307.77
• The Georgia Hospital Association sent both couples to Salt Lake City for the American Legislative Exchange Council's annual meeting in July.
Channells: $1,493.42 Parrishes, $1,199.02
• About a week later, RCR Capital Consulting, a lobbying firm with five health care clients, sent the couples to the National Conference of State Legislatures meeting in Chicago Aug. 6-9. (Each couple spent five nights, at $409 per night each.) The GHA did pick up the cost of a couple of meals in Chicago.
Channells: $3,000.11 Parrishes: $3,000.11
• On Sept. 17, RCR spent $149 each on the couples for"lodging for event participation."
• Channell and Parrish didn't take the wives this time, but RCR reported spending $74 apiece for them for"greens/cart fees"on Sept. 24.
MEALS
• Lobbyists for GHA and Georgia Power Co. took Channell and Parrish and their wives out on Valentine's Day 2012: The reported total for each couple was $236.96.
• The hospital association treated the couples to dinner Jan. 23.The tab: $201.42 for each couple.
• The GHA treated them again March 26.The tab: $224.88 each .
• Again on May 23: $160.12 each.
• The lobbyist for Mathews & Maxwell, with eight health-care clients, took the couples out Aug. 24: $121.74 each.
• The lobbyist fordrug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb took the couples out Sept.16: $150.56 each.
• The GHA bought dinner for Channell and Parrish Dec.3: $150.37 each.
About the Author
