Georgia’s General Assembly is out this year, per usual, just in time to take part in another legislative tradition: heading down to the Masters to hang out with lobbyists, business elite and potential donors.
Many legislators and Capitol lobbyists regularly spend time in Augusta after the session schmoozing, blowing off steam and watching a little golf after the three-month session.
It also is the lead in to the traditional season of legislative golf outings used to raise campaign money throughout the year.
Legislators aren’t allowed to collect campaign checks during the legislative session, and some of them are likely antsy to get started building their war chests after depleting them during the 2014 elections.
Many got a head start in the days before the session began Jan. 12. Some held fund-raisers the week before the session, events heavily attended by lobbyists and groups interested in legislation and state funding.
State ethics commission records show lawmakers collected about $830,000 in contributions in the first 11 days of January, just before the session began.
Two of the most successful fundraisers were Senate President Pro Tem David Shafer, R-Duluth, who took in $57,000, and House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, who collected $26,750. Most of the money comes from lobbyists, associations and businesses with an interest in legislation.
Shafer continues to be a prodigious fund raiser even though he never faces a serious threat to his state Senate seat. He is considered a likely candidate for lieutenant governor if Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle decides to move up and run for governor in 2018. Shafer listed having nearly $1 million in his Senate campaign account at the end of January.
Ralson, who faced a nasty primary challenge last year, had $314,000 in his account.
Some of the biggest donors before the session where groups fighting for or against legislation and or funding.
The car dealers gave more than $23,000 to lawmakers during the first few days of 2015. The car dealers were involved in a tough battle with Tesla Motors over its push to sell cars freely without going through independent dealers. A deal was worked out and California-based Tesla will be the first and only carmaker in recent Georgia history to be allowed to sell freely without going through independent dealers.
United Health Services, a huge player in the nursing home industry in Georgia, contributed $21,000 to 21 lawmakers just before the session, according to legislators’ campaign reports. United Health is set to benefit from a special $26 million increase in payments for select nursing home owners that Gov. Nathan Deal recommended and lawmakers approved in the fiscal 2016 budget.
The highway contractors association contributed at least $12,000 right before the session. They are among the biggest winners of the session, since lawmakers approved a transportation funding plan that could funnel more than $900 million extra into road and bridge projects each year.
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