Lobbyists file reports on 2024 legislative session spending | News, Sports, Jobs

Steven Allen Adams SPREAD IT AROUND – Lobbyists spent more than $350,000 on lawmakers earlier this year during the 2024 legislative session.

CHARLESTON — Lobbying expenses for lawmakers during the 2024 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature earlier this year were the same as costs during the same period last year, even though one county government and one public university submitted contracts for lobbying services ahead of the July 1 deadline.

Registered lobbyists in West Virginia were required to file activity reports with the West Virginia Ethics Commission by May 15 covering activities between January 1 and April 30.

According to the Ethics Commission’s lobbying activity report for the four-month period, approximately $350,802 was spent by 106 registered lobbyists during the reporting period, which coincides with the 60-day session that began Jan. 10 and ended March 9. It also coincided with the primary election period that ended May 14.

That’s a slight decrease from the approximately $364,586 spent by 109 lobbyists in the four-month period between January 2023 and May 15, 2023.

The state code requires that expenditures made by lobbyists or their employers to government officials to further their lobbying efforts be reported on May 16, September 15, and January 15 of each year.

The West Virginia Coal Association was the biggest spender during the reporting period, with the West Virginia Municipal League, lobbyists Gil White and Phil Reale and the West Virginia AFL-CIO rounding out the top five lobbyists for spending.

WVCA Chairman Chris Hamilton reported spending $19,070. Of that, $18,506 was spent on group expenses. Those expenses included a sponsorship of the West Virginia Republican Legislative Committee event at the Shriners Temple in Charleston on Jan. 8, as well as several dinners, luncheons and a reception for the Legislative Coal Caucus. Hamilton also took several lawmakers out to eat at Charleston restaurants during the session.

The West Virginia Municipal League was the second-biggest spender at $18,728, with a legislative reception on Feb. 12 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston costing $15,142. The Municipal League also hosted a legislative luncheon on Jan. 9 at the organization’s headquarters costing $3,586.

White spent $15,839 during the reporting period, including $4,788 on meals and drinks between February and April for lawmakers on behalf of clients Steptoe and Johnson, Encova Insurance and CityNet. He also reported spending $11,050 on campaign contributions.

Reale spent $13,327 during the period, including $9,177 on meals and beverages for lawmakers on behalf of the Beer Wholesalers Association and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. He also spent $7,465 on a legislative reception on Feb. 13 at the West Virginia Culture Center, sponsored by the Beer Wholesalers Association.

West Virginia AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Andrew Walter spent $11,535 in the period, including $5,492 on group expenses and $6,043 on meals and beverages. Most of the AFL-CIO’s spending was on labor caucus lunches for lawmakers.

The Wetzel County Assessor’s Office and West Virginia University have also spent taxpayer dollars lobbying the West Virginia Legislature. According to lobbying service contracts filed with the Ethics Commission, the Ethics Commission received two contracts on July 8, covering the period between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

The State Code requires that every state agency, city, county, and school district that contracts with individuals or firms for lobbying services file an annual report with the Ethics Commission on or after July 1 of each year. The law does not set deadlines for filing the reports and has no enforcement mechanisms.

According to the July 8 report, the Wetzel County Assessor’s Office signed a contract with Conrad Lucas of Golden Horseshoe Strategies/Capitol Resources and Hallie Mason Consulting, effective July 1, 2023, and running through Dec. 31. The contract calls for a $5,000 monthly retainer for a minimum annual cost of $60,000, plus a $25,000 flat fee for Hallie Mason Consulting.

According to the legal advertisement placed by the Wetzel County Tax Assessor’s Office, the office was seeking lobbying services with the Legislature on issues related to the enactment of the natural gas tax, a possible constitutional amendment to eliminate the tangible personal property tax on inventory, expand eligibility for tax category two on real estate parcels and increase the Homestead Exemption.

According to the July 8 report, WVU has a $5,000-a-month contract with Danielle Waltz, an attorney with the Jackson Kelly law firm in Charleston, for legal assistance and government relations services, excluding reimbursement of expenses.

Last year, only six government lobbying contracts were submitted by the July 1, 2023, deadline, including WVU, the Wetzel County Assessor’s Office, the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority, Marshall University, the Wood County Commission and the Berkeley County Commission.

The reporting requirement does not apply to organizations representing multiple counties and local governments, such as the West Virginia Association of Counties and the West Virginia Municipal League

(Adams can be reached at [email protected])

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