Lobbyist spending detailed

Lobbyists looking to get a "bigger bang" from their political connections lured legislators over the past year with tickets to major concerts and professional and collegiate sporting events, and $49 rounds of golf.

While the vast majority of lobbyists reported spending no money on elected officials in 2005, those who did spent money on everything from $8 lunches to $200 concert tickets, according to year-end reports that were due Tuesday evening. The reports included itemized lists of expenditures during the fall and total money spent in 2005.

For the most part, the money spent by lobbyists was kept under the current per-person $50 threshold so as to avoid having to identify the recipients of the money. It also meant that whatever exceeded that threshold was pretty enticing.

How about tickets to the sold-out Rolling Stones concert, complete with a dinner? Good enough for nine legislators and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who received the $200-per-person package from Ameriquest Mortgage.

The University of Utah, always a big spender, had the year's highest lobbying budget with spending amounting to $18,366. That included a slew of football and basketball tickets, which ranged in prices from $25 to $58, as well as lunch with former Secretary of State James Baker, and tours of Range Creek Canyon in eastern Utah.

Utah State University also treated legislators, including basketball tickets and a reception dinner given to four northern Utah legislators. Both USU and Utah are looking for funding this year for, among other things, the Utah Science and Technology Research initiative, which Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has proposed at $50 million.

Real Salt Lake, who is looking for funding of a soccer stadium in Sandy, took four legislators on a trip to Los Angeles in December, where they met with officials of fellow Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy, said Josh Ewing, Real Salt Lake spokesman. The Galaxy share a stadium, the Home Depot Center, with Club Deportiva Chivas USA that is generally considered one of the nicest, if not the nicest, in the MLS and the trip was intended to show legislators, as well as Sandy city and Salt Lake County officials, what could be done with a soccer stadium and funding options.

The one-day trip on Dec. 28 cost Real Salt Lake about $350 per person, Ewing said, primarily to cover airline tickets, ground transportation and lunch for Sens. Curt Bramble, R-Provo; Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse; Howard Stephenson, R-Draper; and Rep. Stuart Adams, R-Layton. Sandy and Salt Lake County officials covered their own costs.