From the Chicago Sun-Times

Lobbyists' spending on lawmakers reported at five-year high
BY DAVE MCKINNEY Sun-Times Springfield Bureau

SPRINGFIELD--In the first half of this year, lobbyists spent more than
$915,000 mostly to wine and dine state lawmakers, marking a five-year high,
the Secretary of State's office reported Monday.
Leading the way was the Illinois Education Association, the state's largest
teachers union, which spent $76,101 mostly on a spring dinner in Rosemont
attended by 45 state officials.
Next on the list was the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers, which
represents gravel and sand companies that provide the raw material for the
state's road-building industry. That group spent $41,887.
The top five spenders were rounded out by the Racing Associations of
Illinois, a coalition of racetracks, Diageo North America, a hard liquor
wholesaler, and Exelon Corporation, the parent company of Commonwealth
Edison.
The $915,681 spent so far this year is 15 percent greater than what was
spent by lobbying groups in the spring of 2002 and 23 percent greater than
for the same period in 1999. The number of registered lobbyists filing
expense reports stands at 1,841 this year, up by 4 percent from 1999.
Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said
the rising costs demonstrate how "interests of all kinds and stripes are
looking to lay on the shrimp cocktail to get a few minutes with a
legislator."
Lobbyist expenditure lists used to be a gold mine of gifts to lawmakers,
like Waterford crystal, sports tickets in exclusive sky boxes, trips and
other goodies. But those kinds of gifts have slowed as a result of tighter
restrictions placed on lawmakers in 1999.
Now, the bulk of the costs are the result of one or two expensive
receptions. Under state law, interest groups must report the entire cost of
the function as a lobbying expense, even if it is attended by only handful
of lawmakers.
In the case of the Association of Aggregate Producers, two legislators were
among 400 attendees at the group's annual conference, which was built around
seminars and a meal. The conference cost $41,887 and was identified as
lobbying expenses, even though a group official insisted no actual lobbying
took place.
"We did not spend this money lobbying, period," said John Henriksen, the
organization's executive director who said it disclosed the figure that way
to meet the letter of the law.
However, Canary said the figures produced by White's office are skewed for a
different reason: They don't show the tens of thousands of dollars
organizations spend to hire lobbyists.
SBC Communications, for one, hired an armada of lobbyists to pass
legislation raising the rate it charges competitors to use its phone lines.
Yet, the company reported spending a mere $3,780 on meal expenses for
lawmakers.
SPRINGFIELD--In the first half of this year, lobbyists spent more than
$915,000 mostly to wine and dine state lawmakers, marking a five-year high,
the Secretary of State's office reported Monday.
Leading the way was the Illinois Education Association, the state's largest
teachers union, which spent $76,101 mostly on a spring dinner in Rosemont
attended by 45 state officials.
Next on the list was the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers, which
represents gravel and sand companies that provide the raw material for the
state's road-building industry. That group spent $41,887.
The top five spenders were rounded out by the Racing Associations of
Illinois, a coalition of racetracks, Diageo North America, a hard liquor
wholesaler, and Exelon Corporation, the parent company of Commonwealth
Edison.
The $915,681 spent so far this year is 15 percent greater than what was
spent by lobbying groups in the spring of 2002 and 23 percent greater than
for the same period in 1999. The number of registered lobbyists filing
expense reports stands at 1,841 this year, up by 4 percent from 1999.
Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said
the rising costs demonstrate how "interests of all kinds and stripes are
looking to lay on the shrimp cocktail to get a few minutes with a
legislator."
Lobbyist expenditure lists used to be a gold mine of gifts to lawmakers,
like Waterford crystal, sports tickets in exclusive sky boxes, trips and
other goodies. But those kinds of gifts have slowed as a result of tighter
restrictions placed on lawmakers in 1999.
Now, the bulk of the costs are the result of one or two expensive
receptions. Under state law, interest groups must report the entire cost of
the function as a lobbying expense, even if it is attended by only handful
of lawmakers.
In the case of the Association of Aggregate Producers, two legislators were
among 400 attendees at the group's annual conference, which was built around
seminars and a meal. The conference cost $41,887 and was identified as
lobbying expenses, even though a group official insisted no actual lobbying
took place.
"We did not spend this money lobbying, period," said John Henriksen, the
organization's executive director who said it disclosed the figure that way
to meet the letter of the law.
However, Canary said the figures produced by White's office are skewed for a
different reason: They don't show the tens of thousands of dollars
organizations spend to hire lobbyists.
SBC Communications, for one, hired an armada of lobbyists to pass
legislation raising the rate it charges competitors to use its phone lines.
Yet, the company reported spending a mere $3,780 on meal expenses for
lawmakers.