This spring state lawmakers set the first-ever limits on individual gifts given by lobbyists to public officials, but they preserved the tradition of large, general-invitation banquets and parties.
Two of the largest lobbying interests in the state – Georgia Power and the University of Georgia – showed their gratitude in October, spending a combined $35,000 for events for lawmakers.
That’s more than all the rest of the reported lobbying spending for the month combined.
“We did have a really good turnout,” UGA lobbyist Tricia Chastain said. “It’s not just the members of the Legislature that come. We have all our deans of our 16 colleges and schools invited (and some) alums. We have a big crowd.”
Reported lobbyist spending in October clocked in at $65,345, compared to just $30,355 for the same month last year. It is only the second month this year that spending increased year over year.
UGA led the increase, spending $18,743 on Oct. 12 to attract lawmakers toLegislative Appreciation Day. That day the Bulldogs lost a crucial SEC contest to Missouri 41-26, but legislators couldn’t complain about the food. The university spent $14,223 on the banquet.
The money came from the university’s foundation and not from taxpayers, Chastain said.
House Bill 142, the ethics reform passed earlier this year, puts a $75 cap on individual gifts to public officials. But the bill has a number of loopholes, including allowances for large annual events as long as invitations go out to entire groups of lawmakers.
While overall lobbying spending is down in 2013, the UGA event was up 15 percent over last year’s party. Chastain said this year’s legislative day attracted a little more attention because the game was a hotter ticket.
“At that point of the season we were doing pretty well. We were a top 10 team and it was a good matchup,” she said.
It also was a chance for lawmakers to meet the university’s new president, and the noon kickoff was more “family friendly” than last year’s 7:45 p.m. start, she said.
Chastain said it was “a great way for us to show appreciation for what they do.”
Dinner with Georgia Power
Georgia Power spent $16,471 last month, most of which went to a series of regional “company update” dinners, making the power company the largest spender among special interests that do not field a football team.
House Regulated Industries Chairman Howard Maxwell described the Georgia Power eventas a sort of legislative appreciation dinner. He said he and about eight other lawmakers attended the one held at Canoe, a fancy restaurant on West Paces Ferry named one of The Atlanta 50 by the AJC.
“They always have the one in our district down at Canoe,” Maxwell, R-Dallas, said. “I’ve been to most of them.”
Maxwell said the event is pretty informal and is an opportunity for the utility to thank legislators for their service, although some business does get done.
“They did talk about (Plant) Vogtle and the expenditures down there. You can’t get away from some of the stuff,” he said.
Georgia Power spokesman Mark Williams said the company usually holds the event every other year to give lawmakers a chance to meet and speak with top company officials. Members of the state Department of Natural Resources and Department of Transportation boards also are invited, he said.
“It’s just to discuss issues that people from these groups and our customers tell us are important,” he said.
This year, Williams said, discussion centered on state economic conditions, education and “the company’s energy mix.”
Pressing the flesh with lawmakers is important to Georgia Power. Company executives oppose a House bill aimed at opening up the state’s energy markets to independent solar power producers.
‘What they call ethics reform’
Year-over-year spending has fallen 18 out of the last 21 months since the practice of unlimited meals, trips and other gifts to lawmakers fell under greater scrutiny by the media and good government groups.
Apart from October, the other increase came in July of this year when lobbyists pay for lawmakers to come to their industry conventions, usually at beach resorts. This was another exception carved out of the 2013 reforms.
William Perry, executive director of Common Cause Georgia, said these are not the reforms citizens demanded.
“I think this points to how the reforms didn’t address some of the biggest problems,” he said.
He said the increase last month is “an example of two of the largest lobbying entities using the current system to their advantage.”
“Unfortunately they still will be able to use the new law to the same advantage even though the Legislature passed what they call ethics reform,” he said.
Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, pushed for tougher reforms during the last session, but he said it is too early to reach a verdict on HB 142.
“The law comes into force Jan. 1, and while I think people now are trying to conform their behavior to the law, we’re going to need some more data on what works with the law and what doesn’t,” he said.
If spending creeps back up toward pre-reform levels, it might be time to tighten the rules again, he said.
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