PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call
Bill White
Child sex statute reform opponents spend millions on lobbying
I was in Harrisburg on Monday, and The Morning Call’s Capitol correspondent, Steve Esack, helped me with some research while I attended a rally for child sex abuse statute-of-limitations reform and waited for a medical marijuana bill to finally hit the state House floor.
Here’s what he came up with: The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, the umbrella group for every diocese and archdiocese in the state, spent $3.5 million on lobbying in Harrisburg between 2010 and 2015, according to Department of State records.
That breaks down to an annual average of $58,890. It includes payments to three of the state’s leading lobbying firms, which in turn send individual lobbyists to advocate before lawmakers and state officials the Catholic position on 32 topics, including “children’s issues,” “liability reform” and “prevention of child abuse.”
The expense reports list three types of expenses, direct and indirect communication and “gifts, hospitality, transportation and lodging for state officials or employees or their immediate families.”
The Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania, one of several insurance industry lobbying organizations operating here, spent about $10.3 million on lobbying between 2015 and 2010, which comes to an annual average of about $1.7 million. The federation’s lobbying disclosure forms do not break out topics lobbyists discussed with lawmakers and other state officials, but it’s safe to say that this much spending gives the insurance industry a lot of clout.
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