Illinois Lobbying: High in Numbers, Lacking in Disclosure
Quick Read Lobbyists play a significant, if largely unseen, role in policy making across the state and nation. Therefore, understanding lobbying activity and data is key to understanding some of the state’s major legislative initiatives. Overall, some aspects of lobbying at the state level in Illinois are unique: - Illinois has more lobbyists per resident than most major U.S. states
- Compensation information is unavailable for General Assembly lobbyists in Illinois, but is available in other states, as well as in Cook County and the City of Chicago
- Registration fees for state lobbyists in Illinois are higher than most other major U.S. states
Requiring the disclosure of compensation data for Illinois state lobbyists would provide important information for voters and residents of Illinois, and bring the state in line with other local jurisdictions and states. Chicago and Cook County already make compensation data available, and the state should have similar requirements. |
|
|
| With the Illinois Legislature in veto session this week, lobbyists from across the state returned to Springfield to advocate for their causes. The term “lobbyist” can include advocates from many different industries, including businesses, labor groups, and nonprofit organizations (including ICPR). In Illinois, a lobbyist is any person who communicates with a government official with the goal of influencing legislative, executive, or administrative actions. While the precise definition of lobbying varies state to state, the general description of a lobbyist remains consistent on these points. Different states and cities require different levels of disclosure for lobbying activities, and some information can be difficult to understand, even if it is available online. The table below shows the number of general assembly lobbyists per state and the number of clients they represent. A client includes any organization for which a lobbyist will try to influence state government. Notably, Illinois has twice as many lobbyists per resident as California or Texas, and 20% more than Florida. |
|
More Lobbying Disclosure is Needed in Illinois
While Illinois’ lobbying industry is vibrant, information on lobbyists and their activities is not always simple to find. Most states, including Illinois, provide the public with a way to see the number of lobbyists, along with their fees and reporting requirements, but compensation information is not as transparent or easily accessible.
The state of Illinois does not require General Assembly lobbyists or their clients to report compensation information. New York provides full lobbying reports, which include compensation information, for each client a lobbyist represents. Florida and Texas also provide this information, although they provide a range of compensation rather than an exact amount. Illinois could also provide lobbyist compensation data, and in fact, other jurisdictions in Illinois do provide this vital information.
In addition to requiring separate registration, Chicago and Cook County also require lobbyists to report their compensation. This provides more transparency around lobbyists’ activities, although finding and understanding this information can be difficult. For Cook County, there is an easy search for compensation. Chicago provides more data, although it can be somewhat difficult to analyze.
In Illinois, there are 9 state lobbyists for every legislator in Springfield. Based on the compensation disclosures provided by the City of Chicago, lobbyists are paid hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars to advocate for and influence these legislators. That information should be accessible at the state level in Illinois, as it is in other major U.S. states.
Lobbying Fees Vary Widely Between States
Across various states and municipalities, lobbyists are required to pay annual or biennial registrations fees, and some states also require filing fees for their regular expenditure reports.These registration fees vary significantly between states, ranging from $25 to $750 or more per year. Registration fees in Florida require lobbyists for the Executive branch to pay $25 per year for each client they represent. In New York, there is a fee of $200 for a two-year registration, plus an additional $50 fee for client semi-annual reports. Similarly, California requires a $100 fee for a two-year registration for each lobbyist, regardless of the number of clients they serve. However, Texas has the highest fees in this group, charging nonprofit lobbyists $150 per year to register and $750 from lobbyists for other organizations.In Illinois, registration fees are higher than in many other large states. Lobbyist registration costs $300 a year, and any organization employing a lobbyist must register as an entity for an additional $300. In 2016, the Secretary of State’s office reported $1.1 million in revenue from lobbyist and client registration registration fees.In addition to the fees for the state, lobbyists in many places are subject to additional fees if they wish to lobby officials from other levels of government, including Cook County and the City of Chicago. They must register with each government separately, and this registration requires additional fees. For a lobbyist in Chicago, the city imposes a $350 lobbyist registration fee and a $75 fee for each client beyond the lobbyist’s first client. Cook County is close behind, requiring lobbyist’s to pay $350 to register, although there are no additional fees for clients. The important distinction between Illinois lobbyist fees and those in other states is how the state-level fees affect small businesses and nonprofits. A business or nonprofit in Illinois must pay a minimum of $600 if they send just one exclusive lobbyist to Springfield, regardless of their industry. Other states handle these issues by requiring smaller fees for nonprofits, charging fees per client, or making the fees lower overall. |
|
Issues like these lead us to explore new policy changes to improve transparency and accountability in Illinois. What information do you think should be available about lobbying in Illinois? Please email us at outreach@ilcampaign.org with your comments and questions on this issue. |
|
|
Back