Lobbyists scarce on lawmaker trip

LOGAN — By all accounts, the state Legislature's trip last week to northern Utah was a success, coming after a four-year hiatus when legislative leaders junked the annual summer excursions because of state budget woes.

One noticeable difference in this year's three-day visit — an absence of well-known lobbyists hanging around.

No specific attempt was made to keep lobbyists away, said Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, a 25-year legislative veteran who organized the trip this year and handled other trips before.

"Anyone can attend our public meetings" held during parts of last week's trip, Hillyard said. But because Hillyard and other northern Utah legislators worked through the local chambers of commerce to get sponsors for some meals or other events, the normal Capitol Hill group of lobbyists was missing.

Cap Ferry, a former state Senate president, and his wife, Sue, are well-known lobbyists, originally from Box Elder County, and they did raise some funds, Hillyard said. "But I don't know how much or who gave, since it went through" the local chamber of commerce.

Lobbyists "were not involved because they had nothing to gain," said Sen. Peter Knudson, R-Brigham City.

The lack of well-known faces during the Legislature's summer trip is a change.

Lobbyists had always been a part of the Legislature's around-the-state visits since they started in the early 1990s — footing big parts of the visits' costs, hosting private golf games or other more-public entertainment.

Rep. Scott Wyatt, R-Logan, helped organize this trip. "In all the meetings I attended lobbyists were never mentioned." No plan was made to ask for money from them or otherwise accommodate them, he said. "I saw no lobbyists that I knew (at the events this past week). None."

Envirocare, a West Desert waste facility that over the years has been known to contribute heavily to legislative campaigns and causes, hosted one dinner, Wyatt said. "But I didn't see anyone from Envirocare there" and no speeches by the waste firms' new owners were given, he added.

Actually, Hillyard said, several groups did want to speak at legislative meals. "But we just told them to come to the public town meetings and address us there."

Over the years tens of thousands of dollars were likely spent by Utah firms and lobbyists hosting the legislative trips.