Special Interests Spend Thousands to Influence Iowa Lawmakers

[pstans]

Special interests spent thousands wining and dining lawmakers during this past legislative session...

Well-heeled interest groups, businesses and some government agencies spent nearly $195,000 wining and dining lawmakers and their staffers during this year’s legislative session, according to new financial disclosure forms.

Groups ranging from the Iowa State Bar Association and the Greater Des Moines Partnership to Union Pacific spent a total of $194,848 on receptions, dinners and other social events during this year’s session, according to reports filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.

Some of the groups that spent the most were the Iowa Business Council, The Principal Financial Group, Iowa Gaming Association, the Iowa Wholesale Beer Dealers Association, and Hy-Vee Inc.

Now when you look at some of the big issues that were debated by lawmakers this past session you can see why these groups were so interested. These issues include: changes to collective bargaining, expanding health care to uninsured children, if casinos would be included in the smoking ban or not, and the expansion the bottle bill.

The article goes on to tell about the dramatic influence lobbyists and PAC's have on lawmakers and helping them get elected.

Disclosure reports for the year ending last June 30 showed that there were 610 groups who paid lobbyists a total of more than $8.5 million to influence lawmakers.

That financial influence was also shown in political action committee disclosures filed this month, with PACs having already given $872,509 to candidates this year.

I don't think I have heard a better reason for the need for clean elections and campaign finance reform in Iowa. Yet, political leaders refuse to allow the VOICE bill to come up for a vote. The VOICE legislation would bring a voluntary clean elections to Iowa.

I'd love to sit down for a drink with Governor Culver, Sen. Gronstal, Rep. Murphy, and Rep. McCarthy and talk about the benefits of the VOICE bill, but I don't think I have enough money to afford it.

[CornField]

1. Question

I'm not nearly as up to speed on VOICE as I should be, so this might be a very ignorant question. (Forgive me if it is.)

I understand about the direct contributions to candidates, but how would VOICE legislation put a stop to the wining and dining aspect of politics?

[pstans]

2. Good question

It won't outlaw the whining and dining, but it would free lawmakers from relying on the big donations to their campaigns. If the candidate decided to run under clean elections then they would get a set # of $5 donations instead of signatures to qualify for public money. They then would not be dependent on money from PAC's, lobbyists, and probably wouldn't fill the need to attend all of these functions. During campaign season, instead of spending hours making fundraising calls, the candidate would be able to focus on meeting with potential voters and discussing the issues that matter most to them.

[rurallib]

3. Well it is at least good to see Principal using their money locally

and buying Iowa politicians. I am guessing Iowa pols are a bit cheaper than trying to buy a full grown national politician.
Maybe we could start a PAC with the goal of buying PSTANS 5 minutes with the above named politicians. $100,000 should do it.

In a side note, the SCOTUS found buying of public offices to be legal. Let the auctioneer begin!