Parents for Choice in Education, a group seeking tax credits for parents who send their children to private schools, is the eighth-largest donor. Its nemesis, the Utah Education Association, a union for public school teachers, is the 11th largest.

Of note, Utah law — set by legislators — allows anyone to donate without limit to legislators. The law allows one group to dominate giving: One losing legislative candidate got 60 percent of his primary election campaign funds from one special interest.

In contrast, federal law does not allow corporations and labor unions to donate directly to federal candidates. It also places strict limits on donations.

Money for all

Several of the core special interests spread their money widely among legislators of both parties in both houses of the Legislature. That broadens their influence, and not just with a few friendly lawmakers.

In fact, 20 special-interest groups gave money to more than half of all legislators. And a total of 37 gave to at least a third of all legislators. (See accompanying chart.)

Atop that list are natural gas utility Questar and copper mining company Kennecott. Each gave to 76 out of the Legislature's 104 members, or to three of every four lawmakers.

Others on that list include medical groups (Utah hospitals, the Utah Medical Association), financial groups (Zions Bank, the Utah Bankers Association), controversial waste company Envirocare, lobbyists and energy companies.

Two new special-interest players came on the scene in 2002: Parents for Choice in Education and The Exoro Group (a lobbying firm). Both made an impact, both in money and insider strategy.

At $38,860 donated to the winners, Parents for Choice had an immediate impact. The group is funded by several wealthy Utahns and by a Washington, D.C., special interest — all in favor of tuition tax credits for parents of children in private schools. Among the winning legislators, Parents for Choice actually out-donated the UEA, long one of the major legislative contributors.

Exoro is the brain-child of former Morning News managing editor LaVarr Webb, who now co-writes a column for the newspaper. While Exoro donated only $12,939 to winning legislators, it also conducted a number of public opinion surveys this year, including a pre-Republican Convention poll of GOP delegates — and had considerable impact through the polling and strategy consulting.

Is giving to legislators a requirement of any group that wants to be taken seriously on Capitol Hill?