Lobbyist disclosure law is hit and miss

The first reports under a new state lobbying law were due Friday, and while many legislators believe the new disclosure requirements are a large step forward, reform advocates say they fall short.

The new rules are a bit complicated. And no doubt, some of the 500-plus registered lobbyists are still learning them.

As of 2 p.m. Friday, the state Elections Office online reports show that for the first six months of 2009, about $100,000 was spent on gifts and entertainment for the 104 legislators, an average of $1,040 per lawmaker. The new reports could be filed online until midnight Friday and mailed in later if postmarked by Friday.

A cursory review by the Deseret News shows that one aim of the new rules — greater disclosure of legislators who take lobbyists' gifts — is hit and miss. The old $50 threshold for naming a legislator who takes a meal from a lobbyist was lowered to $25. Still, many meals reported Friday were under $25 or fall under a new exemption, so no legislators were listed with that gift.

For example, lobbyist Paul Rogers spends a lot of time and money taking lawmakers to lunch. Over the past three months, Rogers spent $522.98 on "meals and entertainment." But of all that, only one gift was reportable under the new rules with a lawmaker's name — a $40 meal accepted by Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George.

One former legislator, now a lobbyist, says it doesn't much matter what kind of lobbyist-disclosure rules there are, the real question of influence over Utah's 104 part-time legislators lies in campaign-finance reform, not lobbyist disclosures.

Kelly Atkinson served in the House from West Jordan for 10 years, from 1986 to 1996, and was in House minority leadership for six of those years.

"I didn't care if someone bought me a lunch or paid for a round of golf," said Atkinson, who now represents several clients, including the Educators Mutual Insurance Association.

"The real issue" of legislative reform "is campaign contributions, and (legislators) have done absolutely nothing about that" — either through campaign-donation limits or who can contribute, said Atkinson.

He remembers his last race for the House in 1994 costing around $6,000. Now, some legislative races run more than $100,000.

"It doesn't matter if someone buys you a $20 lunch. The real influence comes (to a legislator) in how you can help him get re-elected in a $100,000 race," he added.

Give a legislator $5,000, $10,000 or more in one pop, and the legislator "will remember you."

"I didn't even remember when someone bought me a meal," Atkinson said. "I talked to so many people about issues all the time."