Lobbyists spent more than $244,000 in the second half of January in an attempt to influence action at the state Capitol. They paid for giant receptions, intimate dinners and voter-mobilization efforts.
That’s nearly three times what they spent in the first two weeks of the year. William Perry, executive director of Common Cause Georgia, said it is a signal that lobbying season has hit its stride.
The vast majority of the reported expenditures went, as usual, to feed lawmakers, although some other gifts -- such as $25 neckties for key officials and $2,700 in cuff links and key fobs for every member of the House -- also were reported. During the legislative session, gifts must be reported every two weeks to the state ethics commission.
“It’s kind of a continuing frustration as a watchdog group,” Perry said. “In a time where there are budget cuts happening and so many people are struggling, to see the largess spent on public officials is just mind-boggling.”
Common Cause is one of a coalition of groups supporting bills in the House and Senate to cap lobbyist spending at $100 per event, but the legislation faces long odds. Georgia is one of the few states in the nation with no limits on lobbyist gifts.
The largest single expenditure this year came Jan. 26 when the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce spent $88,000 for its annual seafood feast at the state-owned Georgia Railroad Freight Depot.
The dinner, featuring an oyster roast and open bar, attracted about 1,000 people, meaning it likely would come under the proposed $100-per-person cap.
“It’s our chance to show [legislators] our appreciation and thank them for their service,” said Trip Tollison, lobbyist for the Savannah Chamber.
Savannah business leaders also used their time in Atlanta to press their legislative agenda, items such as tax reform and state funds to support tourism, in face-to-face meetings with lawmakers. “That’s the business portion of it,” Tollison said.
The banquet typically is the largest single expense reported by any lobbyist all year and makes up the overwhelming majority of the annual spending by the Savannah business group. Last year’s banquet came in at a reported cost of $84,400, while Tollison’s lobbying gifts for the rest of 2011 amounted to $1,257.
While some lobbyists spread their gifts out over the course of the year, Tollison said the Savannah Chamber puts its emphasis on this singular event.
“You kind of hit everybody at one time. You get quality and quantity under one roof,” he said. “I may be bragging, but people say it’s the best event at the Legislature.”
Another interesting lobbying expense disclosed last month came from tobacco conglomerate Altria. The parent company of cigarette maker Philip Morris spent $20,542 setting up a website, phone bank and email list to counter a push to raise cigarette taxes.
Lobbyists are required to report only gifts given directly to public officials, so normally, "grass-roots" lobbying like this does not turn up on lobbying reports. However, Altria spokesman David Sutton said the company is committed to public disclosure of its lobbying.
"The company takes the reporting obligation very seriously, and we make every effort to go above and beyond the regulations to disclose," he said.
American Heart Association lobbyist Sarah Balog said she found out about Altria's efforts while waiting to speak with Sen. Bill Heath, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Heath, R-Bremen, was getting calls that Balog said were part of the Altria campaign.
“He said he had gotten 25 emails that week from his district,” she said.
The American Heart Association is one of several health groups pressuring lawmakers to raise cigarette taxes. The campaign made little progress last year and seems destined to fail again, but Balog said she sees Altria's spending as reason for hope.
“We took it as flattering, because last year the tobacco companies did not engage at that level,” she said.
The cost of the Jan. 25 House Natural Resources Committee dinner reported earlier by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also was disclosed in the most recent round of lobbyist reports. According to the reports, lobbyists for 14 groups and corporations shared the $1,900 it cost to take lawmakers to dinner at an Inman Park restaurant.
The groups include corporate interests such as Georgia Power and the Georgia Mining Association, but also included the conservation group the Georgia Conservancy.
The committee members were hardly alone in sticking lobbyists with the dinner bill. On that day alone, lawmakers ate more than $20,000 in food and drink bought for them by registered lobbyists.
Top expenditures
During the legislative session, lobbyists must report gifts given to lawmakers every two weeks. Here’s a glance at the top expenditures for the second half of January:
Annual Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce Seafood Festival, $88,000
Annual “pig roast” sponsored by Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover, $28,295
Telephone, email and website campaign by tobacco company Altria, $20,542
Industry reception sponsored by the Professional Insurance Agents of Georgia, $5,000
Lunch for House leadership and chairmen by Coca-Cola, $3,692
Source: Reports submitted to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission
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