Experts say lobbying works, and many organizations spend hundreds of thousands to influence government action. See the list of top 50 lobbyists here.
Experts say lobbying works, and many organizations spend hundreds of thousands to influence government action. See the list of top 50 lobbiers here.
By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT
Wisconsin has strict lobbying laws, as lobbyists cannot give anything of value to an elected state official, candidate for state elective office, legislative employee, or agency official.
Not even a cup of coffee.
But that doesn’t stop big organizations from lobbying the Wisconsin State Legislature and others on behalf of their interests and members.
Business associations, like the powerful Wisconsin Manufacturing & Commerce, and others spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year trying to shape, promote and block legislation and other government action. But by law, lobbyists or organizations who are lobbying are not allowed to give candidates or state officials anything of monetary value, like meals, transportation or lodging, unless that gift is also available to the public.
Lobbyists in Wisconsin cannot give politicians or candidates for office anything of monetary value, like meals, transportation or lodging, unless that gift is also available to the public.
Lobbyists can make a campaign donation to a candidate for office, but only between the start of a campaign and the election. A person who is not a lobbyist can make a campaign donation to any politician at any time.
Lobbyists must be registered with the state, and they must also report their hours and dollars spent lobbying to the state.
Here are the top 50 lobbiers of the Wisconsin State Legislature, by dollars reported, in 2023.
ORGANIZATION REPORTED HOURS REPORTED
DOLLARS SPENTWisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce 5,066 $885,804 Wisconsin Hospital Association 3,946 $865,605 Wisconsin REALTORS Association 4,978 $843,129 Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club 1,074 $791,000 Badger Advocates, Inc. (UW-Madison) 355 $652,404 Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation 2,376 $631,000 Wisconsin Counties Association 3,822 $531,064 Wisconsin Insurance Alliance 798 $406,793 Wisconsin Property Taxpayers Inc 4,436 $394,332 Wisconsin Towns Association 2,262 $369,272 Americans For Prosperity (the Kochs’ political advocacy group) 1,469 $367,942 Wisconsin Automobile and Truck Dealers Association, Inc. 1,212 $354,233 ATC Management Inc. 1,216 $321,357 Wisconsin Bankers Association 1,412 $294,405 WISCONSIN CABLE COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION 257 $264,000 Wisconsin Infrastructure Investment Now, Inc. 0 $260,982 WEC Energy Group, Inc. 1,079 $257,088 National Federation of Independent Business 1,397 $241,305 State Bar of Wisconsin 2,458 $239,571 Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin 982 $217,470 Marquette University 851 $209,984 Koch Government Affairs LLC, and Affiliates 362 $201,027 Northern States Power d/b/a Xcel Energy 494 $196,603 Wisconsin Wine and Spirit Institute 609 $191,964 Altria Client Services LLC 206 $191,899 Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group Inc 876 $185,671 Kwik Trip Inc. 648 $185,384 League of Wisconsin Municipalities 1,499 $184,930 Aggregate Producers of Wisconsin Inc 256 $180,481 Alliance of Health Insurers, U.A. 1,064 $171,715 Wisconsin Association of Health Plans 836 $171,180 AT&T Wisconsin 796 $168,181 Milwaukee County 1,429 $167,636 Kohler Co. 104 $165,000 RAI Services Company (formerly Reynolds American Inc.) 118 $164,763 Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin Inc 1,604 $158,696 Humana, Inc. 594 $157,494 Johnson Controls Inc 188 $157,005 Wisconsin Medical Society 1,162 $155,401 Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities 1,329 $149,637 Madison Gas & Electric Company 392 $148,377 Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association 843 $147,766 Marshfield Clinic Health System 238 $139,346 Wisconsin Health Care Association Inc. 1,153 $137,865 Wisconsin Association for Justice 1,103 $135,468 LeadingAge Wisconsin 712 $129,327 Google LLC and its Affiliates 284 $126,610 Wisconsin Civil Justice Council, Inc 427 $122,673 Elevance Health, and its affiliates dba Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield 679 $122,233 Wisconsin Credit Union League 476 $121,715
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The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.
This article first appeared on The Badger Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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