The graph above shows the amount of money spent by lobbyists to influence Lansing during the first 7 months of each year from 2009 to 2019. Each year, lobbyists have spent between 17.2 million dollars and 23.2 million dollars to influence the legislation in Michigan.
Corporate lobbyists have too much influence in Lansing. It’s time for that to change.
Lobbying firms spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on free food and fancy trips for members of the legislature. Lawmakers regularly take jobs as lobbyists immediately after leaving office. Michiganders have no way of knowing what goes on behind the scenes between lobbyists and their elected officials.
Our Proposal Would:
- Ban all gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers
- Require a mandatory 2-year cooling off period before a lawmaker leaving office can take a job as a lobbyist
- Create a “lobby log” that would let Michiganders know who had been lobbying their elected officials, how long, and what for
- Increase transparency requirements for groups that use public communications to influence elected officials
With your support, we can restore people’s trust in our state government and create a system that works for everyone, not just corporate lobbyists.
