Behind the Lobbying numbers
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MPR has a story detailing the money spent on lobbying during the first half of 2008. Here are some interesting tidbits:
467 groups spent more than $1,000 (for a total of $7,779,872).
130 groups spent more than $10,000 (for a total of $6,730,392).
14 groups spent more than $100,000.
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The most spent by an individual business was Enbridge Energy Association (which lobbied the Public Utilities Commission). $252,718.
The most spent by an individual governmental unit was the city of St. Paul - $51,482.
The most spent by a union was the Minnesota Nurses Association - $182,165.
Here are the 2008 Top Spenders:
1) Minnesota Chamber (not including local chambers) - $509,777
2) Minnesota Business Partnership - $333,579
3) Minnesota Transportation Alliance (a coalition of unions and construction firms) - $323,486
4) MyWireless (a coalition of cell phone companies to fight higher cell phone taxes and increased cell phone regulation) - $291,750
5) Enbridge Energy Association - $252,718
6) Minnesotans Against Fraud and Higher Insurance Costs (lobbied against Good Faith Legislation) - $241,112
7) Coalition of Minnesota Businesses (a coalition of the MN Chamber and the MN Business Partnership) - $223,595
8) Flint Hills - $192,085
9) Marijuana Policy Project (lobbied to legalize medical marijuana) - $187,524
10) Minnesota Nurses Association - $182,165
11) AARP - $169,156
12) Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities - $162,644
13) Insurance Federation of Minnesota - $149,551
14) Education Minnesota - $116,015
15) National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (lobbied for the Mall of America expansion) - $97,593
Of the Top Ten spenders, only Minnesotans Against Fraud and Higher Insurance Costs spent fewer dollars than they did in 2007 (they spent $995,821 in 2007).
Apparently all of those Education Minnesota TV ads were not considered lobbying by the group. That's a source of some consternation by others who disclose all PR related activity.
NOTE:
The Minnesota Orthopaedic Society reported spending $210, 069 but their lobbyist says the number is incorrect . She says they're filing an amended report that says they spent $2169.
