LOBBYIST DISCLOSURE TRIPLES
DURING LAW'S FIRST YEAR
By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN
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A landmark lobbying reform law has succeeded in
more than tripling the spending reported in lobbying
top Illinois officials. At the close of the first annual
disclosure period on January 31, lobbyist spending figures topped the $1 million mark for the first time ever.
With disclosure forms still arriving on the deadline
for this magazine, the total reported spent to lobby state
decision makers was at $1,027,192.70, with 1,287 lobbying organizations reporting. That figure is more than
three times the comparable amount, $316,906, reported
for all of 1993.
Taken as a whole, these reports provide the most
complete picture ever of lobbying activity in Illinois'
halls of power. The groups who do business with this
state clearly are making an unprecedented effort to
disclose their activities, and that means more accountability. As a result, the state lobbying law is working the
way we intended.
My rewrite of the law clarified and broadened the
registration requirements to include anyone lobbying
any legislator, constitutional officer or key member of
their staffs. It also expanded the definition of lobbying,
which now includes efforts to influence the law-making
process, contracts, purchases and rule-making.
Registered lobbyists are required to report all
spending made on behalf of state officials, including
travel and lodging; meals, beverages and other entertainment; gifts; and honoraria. All expenditures exceeding $100 must be itemized.
Lobbyist spending for all of 1993 — the last year
under the former law — totaled $384,628. However, a
single entity, public interest group Common Cause,
reported $67,722 of the total.
Before the reform, that organization typically reported its entire operational budget, even though it
spent no funds in ways that now must be disclosed. This
year, Common Cause, which was a key supporter of
my reform effort, was among the two-thirds of registered lobbying groups reporting they bought no entertainment, gifts or honoraria for state decision makers.
To date, about 425 lobbyist groups have reported
spending. By far the greatest portion of expenditures
— about 80 percent — were for meals, beverages and
other entertainment.
The second-largest share — about 14 percent —
went for giveaways, including tickets, T-shirts, viewing
glasses for the annular solar eclipse, coffee mugs, key
chains and free museum passes for legislators. The re-
March 1995 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 17
maining spending was split between travel and lodging,
and honoraria.
While capturing more donations than ever, the law
also has been successful in registering far more people
in the business of lobbying state government.
By the end of last year, my office had registered
4,222 lobbyists, quadruple the number — 1,003 — registering for all of 1993. Those 4,222 lobbyists represented
1,541 lobbying organizations, which under the law are
required to file annual and semi-annual disclosure reports.
About 85 percent of the groups had filed by January
31. Late filers paid a $50 fee, and the fine jumped to
$100 after 15 days. The next filing is due July 31.
Some questioned whether this law would bring real
reform, but I think it is clear that the first year shows the
law has been a success. We are setting new records for
both lobbyist registration and spending disclosures,
and the public already has learned far more about the
state of lobbying activity in Illinois
Page 18 / Illinois Municipal Review / March 1995
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