ST. PAUL, Minn. (KTTC)- There are 1,400 people registered as lobbyists in Minnesota, people dedicated to trying to influence how our laws are being written. This year it is estimated that powerful organizations, businesses and unions will spend $60 million helping legislators make up their minds.
At the State Capitol, it's all about who has the power, who has the votes, and most importantly -- the money.
What kind of bills become the rule of the land? Just talk to a lobbyist.
"It serves to help inform the members about things that particular lobbyists have specific information about," explains Republican Representative Steve Drazkowski from Mazeppa. "Each of them works in their specific area. Certainly, there's a number of them, or pretty well all of them, that work to try to influence legislation. That's what they get paid to do here."
There's even a room set aside in the State Capitol, Room 315, for lobbyists to do their work, to monitor the chambers, to report back to their employers.
"When we envision government, its sort of a government of, by and for the people," says Mike Dean of Common Cause Minnesota, "and what essentially is happening right now is a government of, by and for the special interests."
Common Cause Minnesota is a group formed to shed light on any form of government corruption. Mike Dean's latest mission? Making people aware of who really writes Minnesota law.
In an 80-page report just released, Dean points out that there is now an entity funded by Wal-Mart, Koch Industries and other companies called the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, set up to actually write possible laws. ALEC has supporters in each state capitol working to introduce its desired legislation. In the report, examples include a bill to lower taxes on chew tobacco--its backer is tobacco producer Phillip Morris. Or a proposed law that would make it illegal to blow the whistle on unsanitary conditions inside meat packing plants--its backer is Koch Industries, a firm that owns meat packing plants across the nation.
"I think, unfortunately, we've begun to accept this type of behavior in our politics right now," says Dean. "I think if you look at the approval rating right now, what, it's in the teens, and people are just so frustrated with government that they believe that this is sort of a common practice, and so because of that they're not as outraged as maybe they should be."
ALEC organizations spent a total of $40 million in Minnesota this past year for a specific purpose: to get legislators on their side and push for their bill to get passed.
But do legislators disguise the fact that potential laws come from this lobbying group?
"There were 3 ALEC bills that were moving through committees in the Legislature, and legislators asked 'Is this a bill brought forward by ALEC?' and the legislators basically refused to respond," explains Dean. "So from the public's perspective, we should be extremely concerned about this going on, that they're not being honest about where these bills are coming from."
Rep. Drazkowski feels the action of lobbyists is protected by law and their activity is a meaningful one.
"The reality is, it's the ability for people to practice their freedom of speech, and that's really where some of that fits in as well."
All 1,400 lobbyists in the state are required by law to report to the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Their expenditures and contributions are all listed. You can find them online with a simple click of the mouse.
"If the public can see what money is given to candidates for their campaigns and what money is spent by organizations to influence those candidates, there will be sunlight," says Gary Goldsmith, the Executive Director of the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure board, "and the public will know then that there hasn't been any undue or illegal influence."
Mike Dean fears for the future of the way Minnesota does business.
"That's, I think, the biggest threat to our democracy, is when citizens don't know what's going on here, that they don't know what special interests are sitting and meeting with legislators and influencing the legislation going forward."
So it's clear that some people believe that a cloud hangs over the Minnesota Legislature.
But most people who took the campaign donations to get elected, and are now in power, don't seem to see a problem with the money flowing through the capitol corridors.
For more information regarding campaign finances and lobbyist expenditures and contributions, visit the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board's website.
To see the full report from Common Cause Minnesota, click here.
