Hired Guns

State Lobbying Totals, 2004-2006

WASHINGTON, December 21, 2007 — The Center for Public Integrity gathered overall, aggregate spending totals available in each state. Below are spending totals from the 43 states that either compiled them for 2006 or provided the data in a format the Center could compile.

Six states — Alabama, Arkansas, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island and South Dakota — did not provide aggregate lobby spending figures for 2006. Nevada does not required lobbyists or their employers to register or report activity during years when the legislature is not in session, which are even-numbered years.

The make-up of each state's reported lobby spending total varies. The variables accounted for in the notes are:

Does the total include spending by individual lobbyists and lobbyist employers?
Does the total include salaries/compensation paid to individual lobbyists?
Does the total include campaign contributions given to public officials by lobbyists?
Does the total include legislative lobbyists, as well as executive branch lobbyists, if the state recognizes both?

Please consider these footnotes when examining the totals sorted from highest to lowest.

State2004 Expenditure2005
Expenditure
2006
Expenditure
Lobbyists
Registered
In 2004
Lobbyist
Employers
In 2006
Notes
Alabama No Total No Total No Total 603 693
Alaska 14,632,079 16,750,773 26,272,631 342 630
Arizona* 3,082,229 2,941,947 2,602,866 800 1291 Compensation/salary is only reported for lobbyists employed by public bodies. No compensation/salary is reported for other lobbyists. The total number of lobbyists represents primary and paid lobbyists, but the state counts an additional 2,800 lobbyists.
Arkansas No Total No Total No Total 452 537
California 212,695,872 227,940,496 271,680,365 1267 3201 Spending totals include only amounts filed electronically.
Colorado 20,888,314 22,112,714 24,396,668 670 2325 The annual filing period is July 1 through June 30. The 2004 and 2005 total have been updated.
Connecticut 27,626,998 No Total 38,419,882 635 928
Delaware* 161,855 128,783 136,200 270 568
Florida 3,858,165 4,025,430 121,760,708 2029 3238 Due to change in reporting law, the 2006 total includes compensation for the first time, but expenditures are no longer required to be reported. Legislative and executive branch lobbyists register with different offices; lobbyist and employer numbers cover legislative branch only.
Georgia* 946,814 1,203,531 1,202,269 1506 5646
Hawaii 3,749,862 4,470,088 4,413,155 312 336 Spending totals do not include executive branch lobbyists.  
Idaho* 487,341 506,767 869,664 392 488
Illinois* 1,004,437 1,345,413 1,279,213 2195 1731
Indiana 12,115,413 25,166,589 21,999,739 684 648 The annual reporting period is November 1 through October 31. Legislative and executive branch lobbyists register with different offices; lobbyist and employer numbers cover legislative branch only. The 2006 spending total includes $3.7 million in compensation reported by executive branch lobbyists for calendar year 2006. Because it was the first year of required disclosure for executive branch lobbyists, it is possible there is some overlap between lobbyists reporting compensation earned for both legislative and executive branch lobbying.
Iowa 8,297,108 9,134,939 7,802,064 849 1085 The spending totals do not include legislative branch lobbyists. Legislative and executive branch lobbyists register with different offices; lobbyist and employer numbers cover legislative branch only.
Kansas* 593,974 560,395 938,745 560 1376 Spending totals do not include executive branch lobbyists.  
Kentucky 11,869,843 11,672,726 14,424,699 653 622 Legislative and executive branch lobbyists register with different offices; lobbyist and employer numbers cover the legislative branch only. Executive branch lobbyists' salaries are not included.  
Louisiana* 535,325 561,390 1,113,298 531 1254 Spending totals do not include executive branch lobbyists.
Maine 3,524,421 4,426,014 3,227,761 279 324 Spending totals do not include executive branch lobbyists.
Maryland 38,556,789 34,798,229 37,085,356 637 1086 The annual filing period is November 1 through October 31.
Massachusetts 31,052,702 70,955,161 78,960,743 569 1052
Michigan 27,161,810 29,544,777 22,692,687 1283 1222
Minnesota 50,217,111 54,718,363 53,287,186 1385 1261 The agency rounds report totals to the nearest $20,000. Spending totals include local lobby spending, as well as legislative and executive lobby spending.  
Mississippi 13,586,918 13,834,059 17,697,439 422 565
Missouri* 1,085,545 1,074,587 1,074,258 1116 1865
Montana 6,039,657 5,457,284 6,924,175 536 452
Nebraska 8,574,933 9,780,800 9,993,827 345 696 Spending totals do not include executive branch lobbyists.
Nevada* No Total 161,568 No Total -1 -1 Lobbyists are only required to register and report during legislative sessions, which are held in odd-numbered years.  
New Hampshire No Total No Total No Total 227 441
New Jersey 25,126,328 28,922,559 55,321,166 935 1834
New Mexico No Total No Total No Total 855 907 Lobbyist and employer numbers were generated from 2007 lists.
New York 144,000,000 149,000,000 151,000,000 5117 3347 Totals include local lobby spending, as well as legislative and executive lobby spending.  
North Carolina 8,804,927 15,620,669 14,146,337 726 819 The Secretary of State provided a 2005 spending total after the date of publication of that story in 2006.
North Dakota* 3,141 23,338 1,875 154 302 Spending totals do not include executive branch lobbyists. The annual reporting period is July 1 through June 30.
Ohio* 394,146 599,498 349,417 1401 1334 Legislative and executive branch lobbyists register with different offices; lobbyist and employer numbers cover legislative branch only.
Oklahoma* 125,000 175,780 161,652 362 700
Oregon 14,263,277 24,381,727 16,148,614 629 640
Pennsylvania No Total 124,813,732 54,090,812 355 1148 Lobbyist and employer numbers reflect registration with the state Senate.  
Rhode Island No Total No Total No Total 201 476
South Carolina^ 14,808,403 16,643,462 19,815,024 385 568
South Dakota No Total No Total No Total 625 393
Tennessee*^ 245,180 136,571 10,000 512 726 The annual reporting period is October 1 through September 30. Lobbyists were required to report campaign contributions, but not expenses or salaries. A new ethics bill prohibited lobbyists from making contributions to candidates for Governor and legislature so the amount dropped significantly. Lobbyists began reporting more information to the Tennessee Ethics Commission starting October 1, 2006.
Texas 162,111,407 173,594,357 120,215,500 1489 2730 Lobbyists report their salary as a range; the figure at the low end of the range was used to calculate spending totals for this analysis.  
Utah* 145,246 134,432 228,668 351 423 Employer number was generated from a 2007 list.
Vermont 5,438,045 6,181,442 5,943,594 425 400
Virginia 13,824,820 13,150,991 15,367,800 987 917 The annual filing period is May 1 through April 30.  
Washington 34,996,252 37,049,691 38,717,055 964 1265
West Virginia*^ 311,519 217,515 329,267 458 531
Wisconsin 22,518,763 31,200,000 26,826,964 815 755
Wyoming* 175,103 200,238 159,325 365 321 The annual filing period from May 1 through April 30.
       
*Total does not include lobbyist salaries/compensation
^Total may include campaign contributions/political donations from lobbyists to candidates