Democracy Reform Oregon - Oregon Follow the Money

Follow the money

Lobbying Spending - How much? and How you can make a change

Please note that Democracy Reform Oregon changed its name from the Money in Politics Research Action Project in 2007.

What do prescription drugs, software, land-use planning, and tobacco have in common?

At first glance, not much. But look a little deeper, and you will find that it is often difficult for Oregonians to pass legislation that would change the way these things are regulated. While the reasons for this are complex, the often-lopsided amounts of money that two sides of an issue spend to lobby legislators can play a significant role.

There are groups that spend a lot of money to hire contract lobbyists or send their own employees to walk the halls of the Capitol in Salem. Many of these groups may also contribute to candidate campaigns, but some focus their spending on lobbying. While the amount spent on lobbying increases greatly during odd-numbered legislative years, many deep-pocketed lobbying groups spend money in the off years, when grassroots groups and citizen lobbyists are less likely to have capacity to monitor interim committees and talk with legislators.

Spending by lobbyist employers (the official term is "lobbying entity" -- some organizations rely on volunteer lobbyists) has historically been reported only once a year. Democracy Reform Oregon advocates requiring more frequent reporting, and with your help, we won major lobbying reporting reforms. Beginning in 2008, entities will report quarterly. Lobbyist employers report total spending, a figure that includes the cost of hiring lobbyists or paying staff to lobby, as well as any money to pay for gifts, food, beverages or travel expenses for public officials.

Lobbyist employers report the "big money", but individual lobbyists also file reports with a focus on expenses for which they are not reimbursed. Beginning in 2008, lobbyist will also report these expenses quarterly. They tend to get more press coverage although they entail a fraction of the money spent on lobbying.

Annual Aggregate of Lobbyist Employer Spending
1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
$16,545,989	$8,635,865	$19,052,254	$11,349,508	$19,844,932	$13,485,239	$22,097,960	$13,960,408	$23,664,490	$15,403,229

It can also be helpful to view this data in two year groupings that correlate with the legislative, odd-numbered year and the following interim year when the same set of legislators taking actions during the legislative session are still in office.

Biennial Aggregate of Lobbyist Employer Spending
1997-1998	1999-2000	2001-2002	2003-2004	2005-2006
$25,181,854	$30,401,762	$33,330,171	$36,058,368	$39,067,720

Where does the money for lobbying come from?

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of the lobbying dollars spent between 1997 and 2006 came from business interests. The business sector is also a dominant group in campaign contributions, averaging 52% of all the dollars given in the last decade to legislative candidates. But there is even greater dominance by the business sector in lobbying Oregon's legislature. Check out Democracy Reform Oregon's analysis of lobbying dollars by sectors.

Why does lobby spending matter?

Consider the case of Microsoft vs. Teachers: How Lopsided Lobby Spending can Kill a Good Bill.