Registered Michigan lobbyists reported the largest increase in lobbying spending in the state’s history in 2022, spend a record $49.2 million lobbying state-level public officials, according to the latest disclosures.
It’s a more than $5 million increase, but about half of that increase can be attributable to one group, the American Civil Liberties Union.
It reported spending more than $3.2 million in expenses, a more than five-fold increase from the year prior. 2022 was a big year for the organization as it participated in coalitions that worked to pass proposals 2 and 3, which address voting rights and abortion access. Campaign finance records show the ACLU contributed about $9.8 million to those efforts.
“The 2022 lobbying report is unique because the ACLU led the Reproductive Freedom for All campaign and invested substantial resources by way of staff time, direct contributions, and in-kind contributions,” the ACLU of Michigan said in a statement. “More than 85% of the reported amounts reflect our commitment to securing and protecting abortion access for Michigan citizens.”
However, multiple experts on Michigan’s disclosure laws told MLive campaigning in support of ballot proposal doesn’t fit Michigan’s definition of lobbying, even though it is considered lobbying under the federal tax code.
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Lobbying reports are often vague, and rarely include descriptions about the work a lobbyist’s spending is going toward. There are only three categories in reporting: meals for public officials, advertising campaigns and “all other lobbying expenditures.” Nearly all of the ACLU’s reported spending fell into the third category, which is described by the state as “salary for lobbyist agents and other lobbying expenditures.”
Spending on meals for a particular legislator only had to be specified if the lobbyists spent over $66 in a given month in 2022. That number rises with inflation each year, and the relatively high threshold means most lobbyist spending on food and drink goes unitemized.
Only 17% of the more than $503,000 in reported food and beverage spending was itemized in 2022, the rest either attributed to “group” spending, where individuals aren’t named, or excluded from itemization entirely.
Despite only spending six months in office in 2022, Former Rep. Jim Lilly, R-Oshtemo Township, received the most meals above the reporting threshold in 2022, a total of $4,727. He left office on July 1, 2022 to become a lobbyist for food company SpartanNash.
See a full list of lobbyists’ itemized spending below:
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