Nonprofit, union lobbying expenses top list

Top dollars spent to promote renewable energy legislation that died in Senate, House committees

When someone mentions lobbying the state Legislature, it may evoke visions of making deals with lawmakers over expensive dinners and drinks. But, as recent lobbyist expense reports show, sometimes lobbying involves getting the public interested in legislation and convincing voters to contact senators and representatives about specific bills.

According to lobbyist reports for the legislative session that ended in March, some of the biggest expenses were by nonprofit advocacy groups and a union for advertising and phone calls trying to rouse people to contact elected officials. Lobbyists reported spending nearly $300,000 over the course of the 60-day session.

Reports from the last half of the session, filed with the Secretary of State’s Office, showed some of the largest expenses were made by veteran lobbyist Scott Scanland on behalf of affiliated organizations Americans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions and New Mexicans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions. The groups spent $16,587 on advertising in favor of House Bill 440, which was designed to increase solar, wind and geothermal energy production in the state.

The bill — sponsored by Reps. George Dodge, D-Santa Rosa, and Randall Crowder, R-Clovis — died in the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee. A similar measure, Senate Bill 432, sponsored by Sen. Clemente Sanchez, D-Grants, died in the Senate Corporations Committee.

According to Scanland’s report, filed March 20, $9,011 from Americans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions went to the Agenda LLC agency for newspaper ads, while $7,846 was paid to an agency called PathForward to place internet ads for New Mexicans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions.

A report filed by Stephanie Ly, president of the American Federation of Teachers-New Mexico, shows the union in early March spent $10,000 with a consulting firm called Advanced Legislative Leadership Services. Ly said Tuesday that the consultants made phone calls, placed digital ads and sent mailings to drum up support for the budget passed by the Legislature and convince people that Gov. Susana Martinez should sign the spending plan.

In another report in early March, Ly said she spent $2,117 on an “appreciation lunch” for lawmakers at Piccolino Italian Restaurant in Santa Fe.

Sandra Adondakis, a lobbyist for the American Cancer Society’s

Cancer Action Network, reported spending $9,591 for internet ads and “patched” phone calls to try to get public support for Senate Bill 231, which would have significantly increased taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products. That bill was tabled in the House Taxation and Revenue Committee during the last week of the session.

Of the money spent by the American Cancer Society, $5,425 went to Facebook for digital ads, while $4,166 went to a firm called Winning Connections of Washington, D.C., for the “patched” calls, which connect callers directly to a legislator’s office.

Mary Jessa Bunker, a lobbyist for CHI St. Joseph’s Children, reported spending $7,201 on newspaper ads in The New Mexican and Albuquerque Journal to thank Rep. Jim Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, for showing up to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to use part of the state Land Grant Permanent Fund for spending on early childhood education. Trujillo, who had heart surgery in February, missed most of the session but came to the Capitol the night the House voted on the proposed amendment — which later was killed in a Senate committee.

Early in the session, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association reported spending more than $44,000 on an internet ad campaign to raise opposition to bills that would have expanded background checks on gun purchases.

During a legislative session, lobbyists are required to report expenditures larger than $500 within 48 hours of the spending.

Lobbyists typically spend their clients’ or employers’ money, not their own, on events, meals, gifts, campaign contributions and ad campaigns.

The largest lobbyist expenditure to appear in the expense reports in the last half of the session was $28,000 from the New Mexico Golf Tourism Alliance. The money was the stated value of golf course passes given to legislators.

Like the ski passes given earlier in the session by Ski New Mexico, the golf passes are an annual industry gift to lawmakers.